


When you least expect it

by MidnightMoonlightMadness



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, Romance, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-22
Updated: 2015-12-07
Packaged: 2018-03-19 02:39:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 38,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3593235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightMoonlightMadness/pseuds/MidnightMoonlightMadness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Zim leaves Earth for unknown reasons, and Dib is left to try and get on with his life, what is one expected to do when that semi normalcy is flipped upside down once again? ZADR and stuff. Rating may change depending on the chapter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Dib sighed as the front door slammed shut behind him. Today, being a Friday, all he wanted was to turn around and crawl back into bed. Today, also being his birthday, would be the perfect time to do so, assuming his father had not been home that is. Unfortunately for Dib, it had to be one of the rare mornings the professor had decided to grace them with his presence.

He chose to ignore it, seeing as this year would be his last year of high school. Next year he would be pushed into some college, to go and make something of his life. He still hadn't figured out what he wanted to do, but as it turns out that was irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Hopefully he'd be able to figure something out before it came to that.

Dib followed behind Gaz as they walked. The route was almost the same one they'd been taking forever, with only an extra half block to walk, past the middle school. He managed to get himself lost in thoughts of the future and what was to become of him, smirking lightly when vague memories of his childhood mixed in with his current thoughts.

The sound of a car slamming on the breaks to avoid running over a small child jerked him from his thoughts. Today was his birthday! Not a day to be moping about things that didn't matter just yet. He would need to go do something, a small celebration of sorts. It had taken him a little while, but eventually Dib settled on what it was he wanted to do. He remembered hearing about a new club opening in the middle of the city. It was already being labelled the new 'it' spot, so he figured he'd go scope out the place.

He didn't go clubbing often, it usually wasn't his scene. But when the craving for the contact of another human being became more then he could handle, he would drag himself out somewhere to satisfy that need. Trying to find anyone at the school was impossible. Granted, not that he tried all that hard to begin with.

Most of the others there had grown up with him. Which meant they had labelled him as crazy a long, long time ago. He let out another sigh as they walked. Six hours of school, just six hours, then he was free to begin the celebrations.

The walk was incident free, like it had been every morning for the last few years. Dib no longer had any reason to be wary of the shadows. A few years ago, his alien nemesis had taken off, probably summoned by his leaders, or sent on another mission. Dib would never know why though, as the alien had left without a word. For the first few months the teen was more paranoid then ever, not believing Zim could just up and leave like that.

He spent months on the edge, waiting for an attack that never came. Eventually, he had no choice but to accept that the Irken had really left. Victory for Earth. Right? He wasn't so sure. It hadn't felt like a victory, seeing as Dib had never officially won. Not that any of it mattered anymore. He had began to grow tired of the stupid alien's stupid antics anyway. He had more important things to worry about. Like college.

"I'll see you later." Gaz growled out. She gave him a small nod as they parted ways, heading into the school alone. He watched her go, not having a chance to come out with a response.

"Guess I better go in too." He muttered to himself, a habit he could never really get rid of.

The school day went on as it had for a while. Uneventfully and boring. Dib sat through first and second period, ignoring the ramblings of the teachers. He stared out the window, or doodled. Whichever held his attention for longer. He was doing well enough in his classes that he could miss the lectures and still do the homework. One of the advantages of being a genius, right? The lunch bell rang, startling him out of his daydreams. He was free, if only for a short while.

As the clock slowly ticked away the rest of the school day, his excitement began to bubble up inside him. Dib had done everything alone, so he knew that he didn't need anyone else around to have a kick ass celebration.

He dragged himself to his last two classes. He was having a hard time not watching the clock, his usual thoughts of dread were replaced with a more positive emotion this afternoon. As soon as the bell rung, signalling the weekend, he flung his backpack over his shoulder and raced out of the building, his black trench coat flying out behind him as he did.

He couldn't keep himself from rambling on the walk home. "Tonight's going to be great!" He practically beamed. "I think I've been needing this. It's been a while since I've done something fun."

She mostly ignored his outward musings and continued walking. She knew about his clubbing habits, even bringing herself to go with him a few times. Gaz smiled faintly, she would never admit to it, but she figured it was about time her brother got some excitement back. His life had gone from ten to zero in the matter of a few weeks, and it had taken it's tole on him. "Want me to tag along?" She offered as they approached the Membrane house.

He shook his head. "It's alright." Occasionally, the pair would go and act as the others wing man, Dib knew tonight he could handle it by himself. He wasn't entirely sure what tonight would bring, but being by himself wouldn't limit his options.

She shrugged. "Suite yourself." As soon as Gaz entered the house, she bee lined to her room. He headed up to his as well. Dib would need to pick out something half decent for tonight after all.

The room hadn't changed a whole lot since childhood. There was one major change though. The pictures and files he had made and gathered on Zim had all but vanished, placed in a small card bored box, hidden at the back of his closet.

He had never been able to bring himself to get rid of it. Was it because he feared that without the proof, he might begin to believe he was crazy? Or perhaps it was the odd chance that Zim may return, to continue the mission he had abandoned. But perhaps it was because they had been some of the most exciting years of his life, and he wasn't entirely ready to give them up yet. It was most likely a strange combo of the three.

Dib pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. He had spent all afternoon waiting for tonight and dammit he was going to enjoy it. He would take a short nap, not only would it kill time, but it would make sure he was in peak condition that night.

Upon waking up later, the smile returned to his face as he hoped into the shower and went about his routine to get ready. When all else was done, he searched through his closet for an outfit. In the end, he settled for a navy blue t shirt with fishnet sleeves, black skinny jeans, his black boots and signature trench coat. He checked himself out in the mirror before heading out.

"I'm leaving, Gaz! I'll be back later tonight!" He called out. "Or tomorrow." Dib added as an afterthought. When silence was his only answer, he shrugged and opened the door, keys in hand. "Whatever."

About a year ago, Dib had gotten himself a car. He didn't use it very often, after all gas was expensive. The car wasn't anything fancy, just a cheep black car, but he loved it all the same. It gave him the freedom to go into the city with ease.

The drive to the club wasn't long, finding parking was the real killer here. He rounded the corner for the fourth time before spotting a newly empty spot. He tried to make his move, but swore when he was cut off by a blue mini. After a few more circles, another space opened up. It was at the back of the small lot, but he didn't care.

After parking and locking the door, Dib hoped out. There was a small line out front, but when he got closer he recognized the bouncer outside, he worked another club that Dib had frequented often. He approached the bouncer and winked. The guy nodded before letting him through without a word.

The interior was not what he'd been expecting. There were small raised platforms throughout the room, with poles leading up to the ceiling. Around each platform, were a group of red velvet couches.

To the left of the entrance was the already crowded bar, despite the club just opening, it was packed. To the right was a series of rooms with curtains over them, blocked off by another bouncer with a rope.

Dib stood there in awe for a moment. Multicolored lights shone from the ceiling, sweeping across the club, bathing the place in a mixture of colors. Each platform with a dancer currently on it had a different colored light pointing at them.

A sly smile crossed his face as he walked around the room, taking in the scene. Almost every pole had a dancer, along with small crowds of people. He walked up to the bar, taking a few shots of whatever they had on special. He wasn't picky about what he drank. Once that warm feeling ran through him, he headed back out onto the floor.

Eventually, his gaze came to land on one of the dancers and Dib walked over to sit down in front of him. After seeing the other male close up, he determined that there was no way he was much older then Dib himself. Around him, the small crowd quickly grew. It seemed that the male in front of Dib had become a crowd favorite. Females and males alike stood around to admire him as he danced.

A loose black tank top hung from the guys body, most of the fabric on the sides was missing, leaving only a few strips to keep the shirt together. The 'shirt' if one could call it that, paired with the small black shorts, did well to reveal the soft looking flesh beneath. Dib was entranced.

He watched, awestruck as the other danced around the pole, using pure body strength to pull and slip himself around. A red spotlight shone on him, distorting the colors in the area. The dancers dark hair hung to his shoulders, falling into his face as he danced.

This is it, Dib thought to himself. This is the one he wanted. His eyes followed the every move of the other male. He, like many others, pulled out his wallet. He waved the dancer over, wanting him closer.

The guy shot him an alluring look and walked over to grab the money Dib was offering him. Dib could feel his body heat up, the look in his eyes alone would be enough to draw Dib in. The music in the background thumped as the guy in front of him danced, his body moving perfectly to the beat every time.

After what seemed like an eternity, the dancer got off the platform. He walked straight up to Dib.

"See something you like?" He leaned over to whisper in Dib's ear, his warm breath hitting Dib's neck, causing hm to lightly shiver.

Dib froze up, as he watched small trickles of sweat drip down the others figure. "Y-yes." He stammered out. Dib mentally cursed himself for being as nervous as he was. It wasn't like it was his first time, and nor would it be his last.

The male in front of him smiled, mischief playing in his blue eyes. "What can I do for you in that case?"

Dib fidgeted with the side of his glasses slightly. Everything. He thought, instead saying; "Can I get a dance?" Possibly more? His look implied. Dib had to take a deep breath to calm himself down.

A sly smile played on the dancer's lips before he straightened himself up, about to agree when something caught his eye. He narrowed his eyes at Dib for a moment before he shook his head. "I have to go. Stuff that needs to get done." He blinked before turning away and heading towards what Dib assumed was the backroom.

He sat there, stunned. "What the hell was that?" He whispered to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Forgive the crappy summary, not sure where this is all going yet. Inspired by a collection of songs in a playlist and a vague idea from a dream. Also, did I sleep before writing this? Nope! Not beta read, any comments about stuff to be fixed are appreciated. Updates will try to be at least once a week, hopefully more. Enjoy! And Maybe even Review and stuff for me?


	2. Chapter 2

Luckily for him, Dib hadn't taken enough shots to not be able to drive. He had quickly sobered himself up as he sat alone in his car. He couldn't bring himself to head home just yet, his ind was full of confusion. What the hell was that guys problem? He asked himself for what was probably the millionth time in the last hour. He smacked his head against the steering wheel.

"Why does this even matter?" He muttered. It's not like he'd known the guy personally. But that was the problem, wasn't it? He didn't know the dancer who had reacted so rudely to him. For about a second he had contemplated making a formal complaint, but waved the idea off.

After sitting there for another few minutes, he put the key into the ignition. He would go home, eat something, sleep and would figure it all out in the morning. Until then, he tried to forget about how the experience ended.

For the most part, he had enjoyed his time out, and despite the ending, Dib had definitely enjoyed his small interaction with the dancer.

He drove around the neighborhood aimlessly for another little while before deciding to finally go home. Each new thought just helped to confuse him further. But it all kept going back to one base thought, he wanted to get to know whatever his name happened to be.

By the time Dib walked in, it was late. His father, like normal, wasn't home, so there was nothing to worry about there. Gaz's door was closed, meaning she was either asleep, or gaming. But Dib didn't bother her to find out. He ay be crazy, but not suicidal.

He flopped down in bed and a sigh escaped him. His mind was relaying the events on loop. Dib could feel the heat pulse through him and to his crotch. He smirked, at least things hadn't been a total bust. He let fantasy and reality mix together in the most wonderful of ways and he worked to satisfy himself. It was the only way he'd be able to sleep at this point.

He woke up sometime in the late afternoon. Dib yawned and stretched himself out before throwing on some loose clothing. Images from the dream he had last night raced through his mind, causing him to blush a bit. After a quick shower, he headed downstairs.

Gaz was sitting in the living room watching TV. She eyed him before speaking. "Have fun last night?" The show, now mostly ignored in favor of watching Dib's reaction.

He got himself a small bowl of cereal before flopping down on the couch next to her. "The place was fantastic." He began. "I'm going back tonight." He didn't want to try to explain whatever it was that had happened with the dancer. Hell, he didn't even know if he could.

"Twice in the same weekend?" She mocked. "Must have been good."

He laughed. "Something about it was."

The rest of the day went much like this. They hung around the house lazily, bits of conversation here and there. It was how things were done in the Membrane house.

It was about ten when Dib checked the time again. The club would be switching to it's night crowd now, which hopefully meant he'd be able to see the other male again. A rush of excitement ran through him and he hurriedly got ready. His outfit consisted of a blue crop top, a long sleeve fishnet shirt underneath and a similar pair of black pants, along with his trench coat.

"See ya later!" Dib called out as he practically ran to the car. Dib finally had a plan, tonight he would hang back and just watch for a while, he was still unsure of what to say to the other but confronting him without a plan was a bad idea.

The bouncer by the door was one he didn't remember seeing, so to Dib's dismay he was forced to wait outside, like most of the others. He tapped his foot impatiently as he waited. About forty minutes later, he was allowed access.

This time Dib skipped the bar. He had a purpose that extended beyond just good times. The male was at the same platform as last time, wearing the same clothing. Dib smiled as he walked up. This time he took a seat a little further away. He didn't want to be noticed by the dancer. The table he sat at was just behind on of the red couches, although it still held a perfect view of the platform.

He watched as the male flipped himself upside down on the pole before sliding down it slightly. It didn't look like it, but the dancer had more muscles then Dib had guessed. His eyes trailed down the dancers form. His skin looked smooth, and soft to the touch. From what he could see, it was perfection.

The other male did a few more pole tricks before he stepped off it. Taking a shot break presumably. Though the club was almost packed, to Dib it was like nobody else existed. That was until he saw an older male reach out and grab the dancer, almost pulling the smaller male onto his lap.

Dib wanted to jump in and help. He didn't like the look the dancer had on his face, and he wanted to help. It might even make him rethink you,a part of his mind whispered. But he didn't. Before he knew it the situation was under control. One of the security team, which happened to be the bouncer he knew, had rushed over and was now escorting the older man out.

Dib saw the other lightly rub his exposed arms, he shuddered a little before turning and walking towards the back. Dib jumped up, he couldn't help himself any longer. He hurriedly walked to catch up with the dancer.

"Are you alright?" He asked as soon as he was close enough.

The smaller male spun around to see who was talking. When he saw Dib he lowered his head. "Just fine." He muttered.

Dib stared at him warily, he looked anything but fine at the moment. "What's your name?" He asked.

"Call me whatever you'd like to call me. My name is irrelevant." He shot back. Dib could tell he was tying his hardest not to be to rude, if he did he feared Dib might make a complaint about him, which he just couldn't afford.

Dib paused. "I don't think it is." He wanted to move closer, to put his arms around the other and find out what was wrong, but he didn't. Something about the guy in front of him was enticing, more so then Dib had thought at first. He wanted to help.

He didn't respond right away, he tilted his head up to glance at the expression on Dib's face before speaking. "I have work to do. Excuse me." He turned around without another word. Dib wanted to reach out and stop him, but thought better of it.

"Dammit." He cursed under his breath. Dib reached up to run the back of his neck. Was there something wrong with him? Is that why he was being avoided? Or was there some other weird reason for it? He took another look around the room and sighed.

"Surprised to see you here again so soon." A voice behind him said. He turned around, the man standing in front of him was the bouncer he knew.

"Yeah." He said, Dib racked his brain trying to remember his name. Grant. It was Grant. "I just wanted to talk to someone who works here." He explained.

Grant laughed. "That one doesn't seem like the most social out of the bunch. Given, I've only seen him while working a few times. And I'd be a little awkward to if everyone around was imagining various different things they could do to me." He joked.

Dib laughed nervously. He had a point. "I guess." He stared off in the direction the dancer took off in.

"I gotta get back to work. But I'll see you around." Grant said.

"See ya." Dib gave him a walk wave as he walked away.

Dib sat back down at his table and waited. He eventually saw the dancer come back out and start waiting a few tables. Various colors ran over him, from blues, to reds, to greens, to purples. He watched in awe, wishing he could get the other to talk to him like he was talking to the customers he served.

Dib slumped back in his seat. He decided to do the only thing he could do at this point. Wait. He would keep his distance, maybe find another dancer to watch in the meantime. In the least creepy way possible, Dib would wait for the other to get off work. Hopefully he'd be able to speak to him then.

It wasn't a solid plan, granted, but it was the only thing he could realistically do. Despite who Dib watched, over the course of the night he found his gaze, and his thoughts, going back to the smaller male. The way he danced, and the way he carried himself was much different then the others. He had a different feel to him, almost exotic.

After sitting there watching various dancers for another little while, Dib decided to go wait in the car. He didn't want it to be obvious that he was waiting. He left, waving goodbye to Grant. This tie Dib had unknowingly parked near the employee exit, which gave him the perfect vantage point to sit and wait it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N This chapter is a little bit shorter then the first. But don't worry! The next one should make up for that! Also which would be preferred: A longer chapter updated once a week, or a couple shorter chapters updated multiple times a week? Rate and Reviews are always appreciated! Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

Another two hours passed of waiting for Dib. It seemed the dancer he was infatuated with was working the late shift, not leaving until about three am. Dib watched as the other male stopped to wave to somebody inside, before continuing on. The big metal door swinging shut behind him. The parking lot wasn't very well lit, so it was hard to make out to much about the figure that walked out.

Dib did noticed, however, that he had changed into a pair of black jeans and a loose fitting sweater. He watched in awe as the small figure walked. He hesitated, wondering if he should just forget about it. He wondered, not for the first time, if this was crossing a line.

After a few minutes of internal debate, he got out of the car. Dib hung back a bit at first, unsure on how to talk to the other without raising some internal alarms. He had to admit, this was a bit suspicious, and given the line of work, Dib wondered if this happened to him a lot.

Slowly, he began to pick up his pace, making each step louder then necessary as he approached the dancer. He tried to keep himself relaxed, the last thing he needed was for the male to turn around and knock him upside the head. Dib kept his hands at his side, doing everything he could think of to make sure he looked as non threatening as possible.

The other seemed to notice Dib right away, tensing very slightly as he got closer, but otherwise not acknowledging him at all. A good sign Dib supposed. It meant he was less likely to get stabbed, or worse.

After about a minute longer, he broke into a light joke to catch up. Doubt raced through his mind as he did, but he sucked in a breath and pushed it away. "Hey." He said coming to stand in front of the other. "Can I talk to you for a second?" He questioned, not that he seemed to be leaving the other much of a choice.

Head lowered, the dancer seemed to notice this as well. "Kind of creepy isn't it? Stalking someone at their place of work and then trying to follow them home." He shot, only tilting his head up slightly. His hair fell in front of his face, obscuring any real vision of his facial features. The tone used held hints of sarcasm and something that Dib didn't recognize.

Dib opened his mouth to argue back, but he did have a point. Instead he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I know what this looks like." He began, letting out a heavy sigh. It was then that Dib noticed just how much smaller the other was. Dib was just over six feet, and the male that walked beside him barley came up to Dib's shoulders.

"What you need to do, is stop following me." He growled, side stepping the teen, before he continued walking. He was annoyed at having not only been followed, but his personal space invaded.

The walk had lead them to a small pedestrian bridge and the lighting was not the best. With only a few small lamps attached, it gave off just enough light so one didn't trip, but only just barley. Mentally, he wondered if he was going to get hit, or worse. He did kind of deserve it, generally following people around at this time of night was a sign of bad things. If nothing else, Dib could tell he was aggravating the other, but he pressed on.

Something about him began to seem oddly familiar to Dib. He ended up shrugging it off, it was probably just part of his new found obsession for the smaller male. "I get it." He called out. "I know how this looks. But the other night..." He paused to take in a breath. "...what did I do?" He finally asked, his tone begging the other to stop.

He did. He stopped right in his tracks. His memory of the other night was clear. There was dancing and flirting and someone who had seemed relatively eager for his attention. He went over happy to indulge...then realization slapped him in the face. He sighed, deflating a bit. "I don't know what you're talking about." He responded. Denial was the easiest of things to handle, it was something he had gotten really good at over the last few years.

Dib was next to him again, his mind yelled at him to keep moving. He did. "That's crap." He said. "One minute, all was good, the next..." he trailed off.

"I wasn't in the mood to deal with you." Lie. "You're not my type." Lies. "And you seemed kind of broke anyway." More lies. Not only did he wallow in denial, but he was a filthy liar at that.

"Bullshit." Dib was calling him out. He may not know what the reason was yet, but he did know that wasn't it.

"You seem a little obsessed, crazy even." He hit a sore spot, and he knew it.

Dib stopped walking again, taking a moment to think. He did seem kind of obsessed. The only time he'd been this bad was when... He jogged up and grabbed the smaller males arm, yanking him under one of the small lamps.

He tried to pull his arm away, he saw the look on Dib's face, things were about to start clicking in and he couldn't be here when they did. But his grip was ironclad.

Green. Green skin, how hadn't he noticed until now? No ears, no nose, he held up the hand just to be sure, three fingers. Dib felt like he'd been hit by a brick. It made sense, Zim hadn't noticed him at first, and when he did he knew it was only a matter of time before Dib recognized him as well.

"It's been a while, hasn't it Dib?" Zim growled. He ripped his hand from Dib and kept walking. Only a little further to go. The comment about Dib being crazy was what did it, he knew. But what Zim didn't know was if he had done it intentionally or not. Self sabotage was another thing he excelled at.

"Zim?" He shouted. The PAK, how hadn't he noticed the PAK? Had it really been long enough for him not to recognize his alien enemy? But, amazingly, the first emotion to hit Dib was not one of anger, but of happiness?

He did the first thing on his mind, Dib ran to catch up with Zim and he hugged him. The stupid, erratic alien was back. He wasn't crazy after all.

Zim squeaked, having not been prepared for that. "Let go of me filthy human!" He yelled. He'd dealt with enough touching tonight, Zim had no desire for anymore.

Once Dib set him down, the rest of his mind seemed to catch up with what was happening. Zim. He was here, in front of him. Not only was the Earth no longer safe, but he'd been fantasizing about Zim. Thinking about doing sexual, indescribable things. With Zim. Suddenly he felt dizzy. Before anymore words could be said, he turned about and almost ran back to his car.

What was he going to do? How was Dib going to live with this. Even now, knowing full well who it was, he couldn't get the images of Zim dancing out of his mind. He could full well accept being into guys, but being into Zim he wasn't so sure he could handle. Dib drove faster then he had in a long time, he just wanted to be home.

Once he got home he walked inside and slammed the door shut behind him. Dib was in the middle of a mental crises, he was to busy to be concerned about who else may be home. Once hidden in his room, he sat down on the edge of his bed.

Sleep. He needed sleep. He would work on organizing his mind and trying to process it all when he woke up. "Does this mean Zim will be back at school?" He uttered, grabbing the few things he needed for his shower. It was four am Sunday morning, giving him less then twenty-four hours before school. He had less then a day to sort through his mind before the possibility of having to deal with Zim again.

In record time, he showered and was falling face first into bed. He knew once he woke up he'd have to explain his disruptive behavior to whomever may be home, but for once in the last few years, he could say dealing with a pissed off Gaz would be the least of his worries.

His dreams that night were anything but helpful. In fact, they managed to do the exact opposite of what he'd wanted. Flashes of green skin writhing beneath his body, magenta colored orbs and the addicting sounds of Zim moaning his name, plagued his sleep.

It was late int he afternoon when Dib finally woke up, he was groggy. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before slipping his glasses on. He stood up and stretched out. Over the year Dib had grown taller, but he was still relatively skinny, despite the muscle that had been built up over the years.

The memories of his dream chose that moment to come flooding back. Dib felt his face heat up, there was no way he should be having those thoughts about Zim. He sighed, throwing on a shirt and a pair of pj pants, before heading downstairs. Time to go face Gaz, who was probably plotting his demise for waking her up last night.

But imagine his surprise when, instead of ripping his voice box out, she asked him how last night went.

"It was alright. I guess." He answered. "Don't think I'll be going back there though." He said, pouring himself some cereal, disregarding the fact that it was closer to dinner time then breakfast.

She turned her view from the tv and smirked at him. "Get yourself kicked out?" She always found some way to make fun of him.

Dib shook his head. "Worse then that."

She raised an eyebrow. "What could be worse? You didn't get arrested did you?"

He hesitated answering the question. How could he explain what had happened without her rubbing salt in his wounds. Bad enough he was attracted to the being he was supposed to hate, but he didn't need her constant mocking to go along with it. It was also just raise more questions he didn't have answers to.

But then again, she may be able to help, he thought. It's not like Gaz would tell anyone, she didn't care that much. He chewed the last bite of cereal as he weighed the pros and cons. He kept his eyes on the bowl as he spoke.

"The one person that worked there that I liked?" He began. "Was Zim."


	4. Chapter 4

After Dib had run off, Zim was left to stare at the space he had previously stood. Eventually, reality kick in again and Zim began replaying the series of events in his mind. He couldn't say for sure what had just happened, but now Dib knew he was back. Great. He walked the rest of the way home in relative silence. There was a part of Zim that was disappointed with how Dib had reacted.

"Stupid Dib-thing." He mumbled. When he had come back to Earth, Zim knew he could no longer stay in his old base. It stood out to much, and even worse Dib knew where it was. He managed to find an apartment loft that was suited to his needs. A few quick modifications, and it was made officially perfect. He lived in the city, closer to work, easier to blend in.

If there was one thing that Zim was certain about, it was that he had blown it. If the plan was truly not to let Dib find out about him, then he had failed big time. He pushed the exact buttons that were needed to bring the humans brain up to speed.

Zim wouldn't be able to explain why he did it, but he was sure he'd done it on purpose now. Did he want to be captured? Dissected? Cut open and experimented on? No, that much was obvious. But he had wanted the Dib to know he was back.

Those eyes. They had lost their spark since he had last seen the human. It was almost as if when Zim left, he took the humans passion with him. But he had seen it, the spark had returned when the charade fell to pieces. The best part? Dib had hugged him! His first response was not the one Zim had predicted.

As he approached the apartments, Zim was grateful the doors were outside and not in some fancy building. He walked up to the second level and then to his door. It seemed GIR was out, running a muck in the city somewhere he guessed. He was glad, as there was no energy left to deal with the insane robot.

After locking the door, he dropped his keys on the coffee table in the living room and headed up the stairs to the bedroom. The Irken had started sleeping when he returned to Earth, not that he had much of a choice anymore.

Zim didn't get to charge his PAK as often as needed, so he was forced to shut it down and actually sleep for a few hours every night. He knew he should make time more often for charging, but it was just such a hassle. And lately, it seemed that Zim had stopped caring about it completely. Sleep gave him the option to escape from the nightmare reality had become. Not that he dreamed at all, it was mostly just an excuse not to have to think. Or remember.

"Out of all the places on this human planet, and all of the pathetic, inferior humans in this city; Zim had to run into the Dib." Zim had landed in an are of the city he hadn't recognized, so it didn't occur to him that he was in the same place as before. Zim couldn't believe the odds. He flopped face first into one of the pillows. "And if that didn't make it awful enough, he had to find the almighty Zim dancing for human pleasure." He spat. Talk about having some pretty shitty luck.

Before he lost complete capacity for thought, a question managed to weasel itself into his mind. Why had the Dib been there? Admittedly, Zim may not have as much knowledge as he would have liked on human sexuality, but if there was one thing he knew, it was that straight males didn't go to his club. It was almost so well known, it could be a fact.

And the human had seemed so into him! It made him wonder when Dib had gotten a preference for males. And when he had come out of his shell enough to go to a club. It seemed that Zim wasn't the only one to have changed over the last few years.

Zim nearly laughed at the fact that his self proclaimed enemy was not only, practically hanging off him at the club, but probably taking guesses as to what he looked like in the humans bed. He wasn't sure if he should smirk or shudder at the thought.

He threw a pillow over his head. "Computer!" He yelled. "Turn off the lights." It did as it was told with no argument to be had. For once.

"Stupid human Dib." He muttered, rolling on his side and trying to make himself more comfortable. Having a PAK made sleeping in human beds difficult. "Stupid human attraction." He finished. There is no way Dib would still be interested now that he knew, was Zim's last thought before he passed out.

Luckily for him, he didn't work again until Monday night. It gave him time to catch up on some much needed sleep, and to recover from all the skin touching that occurred while he worked. It was nice, the only downside being that Zim had nothing else to occupy his time. Sure, there was GIR and occasionally he would tinker with a new idea or gadget, but for the most part Zim's days were filled with awful tv shows.

Come Monday morning, Dib was no closer to figuring anything out as he had been the other night. If anything, more questions had appeared. He couldn't decided which question needed answering first.

Much to the humans relief, there was no Zim sitting across the room from him when he got to class. He sighed as he took his regular seat. He found himself gazing out the window, in the general direction of the alien's old house.

He had to admit that although he had hoped to avoid Zim, Dib was also a bit disappointed. He hadn't been able to get Zim out of his mind, the way he moved had Dib's rational thinking held captive. Dib wanted to see him again, although it went beyond anything that would usually make sense. Also the thrill of knowing something like that about Zim when no one else in the class would have was just to exciting an offer to pass up.

He shook his head, trying to free his thoughts from the gutter. Hormones and desire could wait until the threat level was properly assessed. The first question that needed answering was simple.

Why was Zim back? Was it to complete his mission or was it for something else. Also tied into that was why had he left in the first place? That was priority number one.

Once the more serious questions were answered; there was a series of secondary questions he needed answered. Why was he so attracted to the green skinned alien? He had always been obsessed, yes. But this was a new level of weird. Next up; why was Zim working? And as a dancer better yet.

Dib knew the Irken had always hated skin on skin contact, so it seemed tremendously stupid for him to subject himself to that. Not that Dib cared or anything.

He jotted down a few notes with the information he did current hold; Zim was back. He had a new base, somewhere. Dib needed to get new spying equipment inside it. Zim was now working.

He sighed and laid his head on the desk. Mondays always sucked, but today was already dragging on slowly and the day had barley began.

His mind drifted to his confession to Gaz. When he told her, Dib had been expecting endless mocking as the best case reaction. But she hadn't seemed fazed. At all. She was a little shocked about Zim's return, but not of Dib's attraction to the alien.

She had said something about having guessed years ago that Dib would get the hots for Zim. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't argue it. He had been obsessed. He had followed him around, and placed spy cameras in his house. Back then his life revolved around Zim and his various plans. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised either. But denial was a powerful force.

He was however, surprised that Zim seemed interested in him. He didn't think that Irkens would have any need, or interest that, would come even remotely close to sexual attraction or desire. Or he was just faking it really well. There was always that option.

Dib had spent the next couple of days trying to pinpoint Zim's location with his computer. But it seemed the alien was smarter this time. There didn't seem to be any traceable fingerprints for him to follow. It was almost hard to know if the Irken was even really back. The employment records showed nothing, it seemed Zim was being hired, and paid, underneath the table. But with a place like that, Dib wasn't surprised.

There also didn't seem to be any record of Zim owning an apartment, a car, or any sort of internet/ cable bill. Trying to locate him this way was like trying to chase squirrels around the park. After nearly two full days of research, he was finally willing to admit that he wasn't going to be able to track Zim down like this.

He smacked his head on the computer desk. It didn't seem like he had luck on his side this time. Dib debated on going to stake out the club, maybe follow the alien home. But Zim would know if the human got to close. He sighed and took his glasses off, rubbing his eyes.

It seemed there was only really one way any of this was going to get sorted out. And going over the questions, and facts, he had was not going to do it. He would have to go try and talk to Zim.


	5. Chapter 5

It was Thursday before Dib was able to find a night to sneak back out to the club. His father had decided to spend the previous two nights at home, which meant Dib wasn't going anywhere that late at night. He was grateful when the professor, was called away again. It meant Dib no longer had to keep up appearances.

So as soon as it was late enough, Dib headed out. He was determined to get the answers he required, and he wasn't leaving until he got them. The entire drive to the club he tried to figure out how he was going to approach the Irken.

Part of him wanted to pick up where they had left off, there wasn't much of a reason to rethink it; he was still an alien, sent to destroy Earth and Dib still needed to protect it. Nothing had changed. Except, it had.

As far as Dib knew, Zim hadn't made any further plans to take over the planet. The Irken, seemed to have changed.

The drive seemed to be shorter then he remembered, maybe it was the nerves, or the lack of traffic. Either way he was there faster then he had expected to be. It didn't take him long to find a place to park. Dib got out of the car and got in line. It would go fast, he knew. Most clubs weren't busy on weekday nights.

Once he was granted access to the club, Dib took a few steps in and gave himself a moment for his eyes to adjust to the room. He looked around and quickly spotted Zim. He was dancing on the same platform he was the other night. He held back, unable to keep himself from admiring the way the other moved, the alien was wearing the same outfit as he had been the first time Dib found him..

He took in a deep breath before approaching the platform. The crowd was thin, as to be expected. He took a seat on one of the couches up close. Dib would need to get his attention as soon as he could.

A few minutes passed before Zim even noticed who it was that had joined his small crowd. He ignored it, focusing his attention on the routine. It was after a few turns and a flip that something finally caught his eye.

The first thing he noticed was the black, scythe like hair. Zim froze. The Irken tried to ignore him as he finished up. Why did the human have to keep bugging him here, at his work? He sighed as he stood up, the last spin having brought him to the ground.

The green-skinned male turned and walked the other way, blatantly ignoring the human sitting a few feet away from him. There were things to do, filthy humans to serve. He was halfway to the backroom when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He froze instantly and felt himself stiffen. There really was no avoiding the Dib was there? Zim didn't anything, refusing to even move. Maybe if he was lucky enough Dib would give up and go crawling back into whatever hole he appeared out of. But Zim was never really that lucky was he?

He felt the grip on his shoulder tighten before Dib sucked in a breath. "Hey." The human behind him said. His voice wavered a bit as he spoke, like he wasn't quite sure of his words. If Zim was being honest, Dib sounded like he felt. But he would deny the accusation at every turn. "I need to talk to you." He began again. "I need answers." Dib's hand tightened and loosened as he spoke, before he completely released Zim from his grip.

The Irken thought about ignoring him, continuing to walk as if he really hadn't noticed Dib there, although it was far to late for that. He took in a breath of his own before standing up straighter, puffing out his chest a bit. Zim spun around on his heels. He took a moment to really look at the Dib.

The human was taller, but he knew that from the previous night. His black coat and glasses hadn't seemed to change at all, though the rest of his wardrobe seemed to. He was still skinny, but the added height made him look more so. Once the assessment was complete, he looked into the humans eyes.

"You don't seem to have changed a bit." He put his hands on his hips, smiling smugly at the human. The confidence was, mostly, false, but Dib didn't need to know that.

Dib was almost afraid the smaller male wouldn't turn around, it would have made sense for him to ignore Dib, everyone else usually did and it's not like they owed each other anything, so when he turned it almost caught him by surprise. He was shocked to notice just how girly the aliens figure actually was. It wasn't something he had picked up on before, due to the uniform, but the revealing clothes made it that much more prominent.

Zim really was smaller then him, almost to skinny to be real. That, combined with the green of his skin, captivated Dib's mind. He wanted to know how soft the skin around his waist was, what every inch of the being in front of him would taste like. He bite his lower lip, trying to contain the thoughts to just his own mind. If he wasn't careful, there was a possibility he may act on them.

"You don't look all that different yourself." A small lie. He noticed that the contacts the Irken wore were the same as the old ones, only the wig was different. And his choice of clothing. He watched as the alien tapped his foot impatiently. "Look. I know your probably...busy." He searched for the right word. Dib glanced over at a few men who were eyeing the disguised alien up and shuddered. They were double his size and for some reason the thought of them running their hands over Zim sickened him. "We can do this when you get off."

Zim tilted his head before crossing his arms. If it would stop the Dib from disturbing him during work, or ever again, he would agree to this 'meeting.' "Fine. Pick me up here at three am." He turned his head to the side, away from those amber eyes. Dib was fidgeting, he seemed...nervous? Worried? Uncomfortable? Zim couldn't tell.

He heard someone whistle, trying to get his attention. He rolled his eyes, the Irken could swear a bit of his dignity died every time it happened. "Zim needs to go attend to this filthy creatures." He turned away without another word, not waiting for a response.

The teen nodded. Three am. Three hours to go. Time he couldn't just spend hanging out here. He stared after the alien, something in his gut wasn't sitting right, but why should he care? All Dib wanted was to figure out if the Earth was safe. And maybe to get the chance to taste that delicious looking skin. He shivered, trying to reign in his thoughts again.

After convincing himself that Zim could handle whatever was thrown at him at the club, he turned and left. He had time to take a small nap, change into some more normal clothes, maybe catch one of the horror movies playing on tv even. And then he would come back and pick up Zim. They would go...somewhere, and Dib would finally put to rest the questions he couldn't stop thinking of.

His mind kept drifting to the other possibilities, to the things that would only ever happen in his fantasies. They were enemies, and just because Dib had started having lust filled dreams about the things that Zim could do to him, didn't change that fact.

But no matter how many times he repeated it mentally, the less rational side of him wanted to take Zim in the back seat of the car when he picked up the alien.


	6. Chapter 6

Sitting outside the club hours later, Dib drummed his fingers on the dashboard impatiently. It was within ten minutes of when Zim said he'd be done. Despite the weirdness that seemed to occur between the two of them, Dib was excited!

For the first time since...while since Zim left, Dib found himself excited about something. The spark that used to propel him forward had turned into nothing more then a dull ache. Always serving as a reminder that there were things greater then himself out there to see, and that he was stuck in school. But it was back and he could feel it stronger then ever.

His eyes were trained on the employee exit, so when he saw Zim walk out, Dib shot up from his slouched position behind the wheel. He saw the alien stop and look around, searching for the human and his deadly Earth vehicle.

Dib waved him over before unlocking the other door. He watched as the alien hesitantly got it. It was no secret that he did not like Earth vehicles. Zim had changed into normal clothes before heading out, black tight pants, a magenta colored sweater that was slightly bigger then Zim and his boots. He had to stop himself from leaning over and pinning the Irken to the seat, it was hard, but doable.

"Where is it that we are going for this 'talk,' human?" Zim asked, crossing his arms. He refused to buckle his seat belt, he didn't believe in them. He also didn't exactly know how to use one, but that was another fact he'd deny. The human was staring at him, so when he didn't respond to Zim's question, he waved his hand in front of the others face.

Dib didn't notice he'd been staring, but quickly snapped back into reality. "Where ever really. Just not your base." He said. "Are you hungry? There are a few places I know that are still open, and the food is pretty good." He offered.

He snorted. "Zim wouldn't tell you where the new base was even if you asked." He paused to consider the food offer. It might be nice to eat something that GIR hadn't bought. "Food sounds fine."

Dib nodded and put the car into drive. It took longer then it normally took him to get there, but then he'd been going slower for the aliens sake, he was tense enough as it was. Dib sighed as they pulled into the restaurant parking lot, the drive had been silent, but he figured that was to be expected. It wasn't everyday you went for breakfast with your enemy.

Once there, the pair headed inside to grab a table. He let Zim decided where to sit, it wasn't like it mattered to him anyway. Once the spot was chosen, Dib slipped into the corner booth and Zim sat across from him.

Zim watched as Dib stared at him, his amber eyes blazing with the spark he'd been missing the last time. He hated to admit it to himself, but the human looked good. Better then any of the ones he saw while working. He also hated to admit how much he hated seeing those eyes dulled, the way they were before.

The Dib he remembered was always so full of life and questions, eager to learn and to defend. The first night he saw Dib, it had looked like someone had hollowed that out. There was no life burning inside him. Until he saw Zim again that was. The alien sighed, his antennae shifting uncomfortably underneath the wig. Watching Dib now made him feel almost normal again, almost like everything hadn't become so world-shatteringly different.

"So, human." He folded his hands together on top of the table, black gloves covering his three clawed hand. "Why have you brought Zim here?" Straight to the point.

Dib blinked a few times, he opened his mouth to respond when the waitress walked over to introduce herself and hand them both menus. She gave Dib a once over before walking away to give them time to decided.

"Why are you back?" He asked. "You left, and you were gone for so long, why even bother coming back?" He wasn't sure if the hurt he felt had leaked into his words. Dib hoped not. Before the only thing he'd had, the only thing that made him even remotely okay, was Zim. In a weird way chasing around the alien, having something that proved he wasn't crazy right before his eyes, had been the only thing keeping him stable. Even if no one else believed him.

Zim glanced up from the menu. There was something in the human's voice, just enough for Zim to notice but not enough to identify. "Zim had to come back. The mission." He paused and flicked his contact covered eyes away from Dib's gaze and back to the menu. The menu was safe, away from the accusing stare of eyes that seemed to draw him in and hold him in their depths. Don't say to much, just enough to satisfy the human.

"The mission couldn't just be abandoned." He began. "Although it's been...altered." That was enough for now.

Dib raised an eyebrow before folding up his menu. "Altered how?" Suspicion.

Zim sighed. "It's now an information gathering mission only." No destruction. No enslavement. He made up his mind, settling on a basket of fries and a chocolate milkshake.

The human paused, searching his face for any sign of deception. He had a right to, why would you trust your enemy to be truthful. But Zim wasn't deceiving him. At least not in the way he thought. "Why?" He asked.

Ever with the endless questions this human was. But Zim wouldn't have it any other way. "Because the Tallest haven't figured out what this planets use is." A half truth. Better then a lie, right? "Until that point, Zim has been sent to gather information."

The waitress came back to take their orders. Dib ended up getting a burger and a soda, and Zim the fries and milkshake. She gave Dib a flirty smile, but he didn't even pretend to notice. His eyes were fixated on indigo colored contacts.

He nodded slowly, processing the information Zim gave him. So the alien was no longer a threat? Or at least he wouldn't be for a while, Dib guessed. On to the next question. "Why did you leave in the first place?" Something he had been wondering for nearly five years.

Zim met his gaze and there it was, the pain hidden just underneath the surface. It seemed his sudden disappearance had taken it's toll on the human, more so then he ever thought it would have. But why did it? "Zim went back to the massive to discuss the fate of the planet, and my mission." He began. Which, for once, wasn't a lie. "They needed to assess Zim and my abilities before making a choice." False. "They wanted me to stay on the massive while everything got figured out." Half true. "Once it did, I was on my way back to Earth." True.

He was reminded of the game that the human offspring would play in the schools. Two truths and a lie. But with Zim is was more like all lies and an occasional truth. He'd always been a filthy liar, why stop now?

Dib nodded. Surprised at the straightforwardness of the answers. He hadn't expected that from Zim at all. For a reason he couldn't explain, he believed the alien sitting in front of him. Although he knew the Irken was smart enough not to spill his guts completely. He was holding something back, it was written in his eyes. The one advantage to their rivalry was how well they had grown to read each other. "Why not come back to school then? Why work at that club?"

Zim was caught of guard. He hadn't expected this, though he should have. "If Zim is going to be here for an unknown period of time, it's better to blend in." He explained. "Which meant getting a proper house. So getting a job was the best option." A pause as he scarfed down some of the fries, using the milkshake to wash them down. "Though trying to get hired with my skin condition is a challenge. Zim needed monies and they are willing to give them to me." He shrugged. "Seemed logical."

Dib took a bite of his own burger while watching the alien. After all these year, Zim was still odd. Which Db was grateful for. He seemed satisfied with the answers given and took a swig of soda to contemplate what to do with the information.

But Zim had some questions of his own, that was for sure. "What you were doing in the club?" Zim asked, surprising Dib.

He chocked as the soda went down the wrong hole. It was only fair, he supposed, that Zim had a chance to ask things as well. But did it have to be something this awkward to explain. "While." He fidgeted with the straw. "It's just something that I do on the weekends some times." He explained.

Zim narrowed one eye, the human seemed flustered. "You seemed interested in Zim. The first night." He pointed out.

He stared blankly at Zim. There was no way the first time he outwardly admitted to somewhere he was gay, would be to Zim. His enemy. An alien. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay fine." He said eventually. "Look, I don't know how much you know about this stuff." He began. "But I was there to blow of some steam and as much as it is so not your business, it just so happens that I'm attracted to males. Alright?" He couldn't look the other in the face. Besides Gaz, Zim was now the only other person who knew. He readjusted his glasses before taking another sip of soda.

Zim leaned back thoughtfully. So he was right. Which shouldn't have been a surprise at all. He wondered when Dib had figured that out, but brushed the thought away, it wasn't important. "And out of all the places to go, you had to go to the one I work at?" Zim said sarcastically.

Dib shrugged, his face having turned red at some point during his explanation. He couldn't bring himself to meet Zim's gaze. "Almost like a bad joke." Dib added. He mentally began to process all the information gathered tonight. It put a lot of his questions to rest, thankfully, but there were still the internal things bugging him. Like why he was so attracted to Zim. And why the Irken didn't seem quit right. He shrugged, pushing the thought out of his mind. Inner turmoil could wait until another time.

He watched the alien eat for a minute. His new wig was longer then the last, hanging just into his face and covering where his ears would be. It suited him. Dib had never had a 'type' when he thought about it. But maybe it's because his 'type' had been Zim all along.

For now, he focused on the facts. The alien was on his planet, he was alone, and for the first time, was not a threat to it. He sighed, relieved and let himself relax against the back of the booth. Then a potentially life changing, universe shifting thought entered his mind.

If they both had nobody, then maybe they could begin to be friends.


	7. Chapter 7

"What?" Zim said. He hadn't expected such a suggestion to come from the human. It had seemed out of place really, even if he wasn't trying to destroy Earth, they were enemies. Human and Irken could not be 'friends.' Hell, Invaders did not have friends. Destruction, the empire, and pride were all they needed to keep themselves whole.

"If you're not trying to enslave humanity then I have no need to hunt you." He tried to explain. "It just made sense to me." Zim could see the rejection stung. The amber eyes that had been staring into Zim's very soul cast downward, towards the empty plate that sat in front of him.

It made a bit of sense, in theory, he supposed. They both seemed to be alone, Zim wouldn't have to hide from the Dib as he would with everyone else. But how could they trust each other enough to be in the others presence? Zim the relentless Irken, hell bent on proving himself and Dib, the human, defender of Earth and eager to prove he wasn't crazy.

Zim knew the minute he let his guard down he could end up in one of the Membrane labs, being cut open and having his insides spilled for all to see. Zim scoffed. "As if the mighty Zim would lower himself enough to be 'friends' with a human." His pride would surely be his downfall. "We could never be friends." Maybe in another life, but certainly not this one.

Dib flinched back a bit at the words. After the time they'd spent talking, he hadn't been expecting a rejection that hard. He sighed, it was a stupid idea and he should have known. "Whatever you say, space boy." He stood up before taking some of the cash out of his wallet and throwing it down on the table. It was enough to cover both meals and the tip. "Want a drive home, or back to the club?"

He wasn't sure why he was offering, but it felt wrong to leave the alien when Dib was the one who brought him here in the first place.

The Irken stood, brushing imaginary dirt off himself as he stood up. He didn't want Dib anywhere near his base. After eyeing the human again he walked over to the door. "The club is fine." Zim was still suspicious of Dib's intentions, it wasn't everyday that your enemy offered to drive you home.

Dib nodded and headed to the car, he didn't bother to check and make sure Zim followed him. His mind was still trying to work through his own thoughts. The human sighed, cursing his brain for over thinking everything. Rejection sucked, but it sucked even more when it came from the only person, or not person, who seemed to understand that you weren't completely insane.

Zim followed along silently. He flopped himself uncomfortably into the passenger seat and watched the other. It almost seemed like the human had deflated, reminiscent almost of an old balloon. Inside there was a twinge of guilt, but Zim pushed that down deep. No weakness, no feeling sorry for the enemy. Even if it meant the fire Zim had seen in the other's eyes vanished again.

He drove in silence, not having anything further to say to the other. As long as Zim wasn't trying to take over the planet, Dib would let him live in peace. He would just have to ignore the part of him that craved friendship with the alien, Zim was probably the only other being that he thought he could have been friends with.

Arriving at the club, the human felt his heart drop a bit while he watched Zim open the door and get out without a second thought. The door slammed shut and he watched for a moment as the Irken turned and walked away. Dib sighed, maybe things would make more sense in the morning.

Zim stopped and turned around when he heard the car drive off. Suddenly, while standing in the cold and enjoying the silence of night, he wondered if the right choice had been made. Pushing the idea down with the rest of his traitorous thoughts, he turned away from the now empty spot and began the trek back home.

The Irken had thought that maybe seeing the Dib would sort things out in his mind, but the only thing the meeting had seemed to accomplish was making him more confused. He wondered if this was how the humans felt, and if so how did they ever figure anything out? His PAK wasn't having the easiest of times trying to filter through his current thoughts and emotions. Maybe he should try to fix it again, although last time hadn't gone completely as he expected.

Working on his PAK always made him nervous, but it was something that was completely necessary. Just as computers needed to be opened up and worked on every so often, so did an Irken's PAK. Zim knew his didn't work properly. Although that information had taken a while to acquire, he had always thought this was normal, that every Irken dealt with small malfunctions like this. But damn, was he ever wrong.

His trip to the massive had helped him figure that out once and for all. The corner of his mouth twitched up in a deranged sort of smile. That trip had been very informative indeed.

His antennae twitched, having picked up the sound of footsteps not too far behind him. At first he didn't think anything of it. Sure it was late, but he was also downtown, so it wasn't anything unusual for some humans to be out and about.

It was when he noticed that they stayed exactly the same distance away from him, and turned down the same streets as him, that he got suspicious. There were no worries, for he was a trained Irken invader, the best of the best, and this was a mere human. Yes, he should have no troubles taking care of the human if it came to it.

But much to his disappointment, his follower kept his distance, not daring to try anything just yet. The Irken sighed, a fight was what he needed, something to get his blood pumping and adrenaline working. He thought better while under such circumstances, so maybe they were what he needed to sort through his thoughts.

He didn't pass many other people on the street, but there were just enough that Zim didn't want to risk it. Turning and attacking the human now could end badly. And the last thing he needed was the law enforcement looking for him.

While walking, he kept listening for the sounds coming from the being behind him. But they didn't seem to change. The speed kept consistent, only changing pace when he himself did. Once the apartment was in view he sighed. Zim would need to go to the lab and take a look at his PAK.

The human following him seemed to vanish when Zim crossed the street to his apartment, he had to resist the urge to look back, he didn't want the human to think he had even made an impact. He closed and locked the door behind him before glancing out the window. Even with his ocular implants, there was no human to be seen.

He shrugged it off before ditching his disguise on the coffee table. "Computer, take me to the lab." He commanded.

"Fine." There was an audible sigh before he was beamed to the lab, which was now conveniently located in space, a short distance away from the Earth. He brought down a cable to connect to his PAK, allowing the computer to run a few scans, before flopped himself down into one of the chairs.

Zim turned on the screen to watch as it scanned through his PAK. Hopefully it was nothing serious. He drummed his fingers impatiently, waiting was never a skill he had acquired.

After a few minutes, a message popped up, informing him that there was nothing new wrong with it.

"How could this be?" He questioned. "There has to be something wrong with it." He slammed his fist down on the console. "Run it again."

"Have you considered that this may be a possible side effect of the current problem?" The computer asked sarcastically.

He paused. "Run. The. Scan. Again." He barked out. If what the computer was saying was true... then there was no solution. His PAK was slightly defective, he knew that. He'd known that for the last few years. He also know that this was not a problem he could fix, despite his continuous attempts to fix it.

But if it was a side effect, why did it only kick in now?

The Irken sighed, it didn't make any sense. The computer had to be wrong.

"Whatever." The voice muttered again before beginning the scan.

He scowled up at the ceiling. One day he was going to fix the computer, make it more obedient. Probably the same day he was planning on trying to fix GIR again. But who knew when that would happen.

He sat at the lab for several hours, running and re-running scans, trying to make sense of the results. But nothing seemed to add up. There was no new virus, no lose connections, not even anything as simple as water damage. Previous defect considered, his PAK was just fine.

And with every failed result, Zim grew more and more impatient. "There has to be something!" He yelled. "Zim demands an answer!"

"Sir," the computer began. "Every scan that could be run, has been. There is nothing wrong with your PAK."

The Irken, who had been pacing in the middle of the lab, sat back down. He seemed to deflate at the words. Nothing. Not a single thing could be done about this. It meant he would have to learn to deal with the emotions that couldn't get filtered out. He pulled on the cable, disconnecting it from his PAK at last.

"Bring me back to the house." He said. The authority that had been in his voice earlier was gone. If he had to begin dealing with emotions on his own, then so be it.


	8. Chapter 8

"Diib! Go answer the door!" Gaz yelled from somewhere in the house.

He sighed, but dragged himself away from his computer anyway. He didn't bother to change out of his pj pants, but did however throw on a loose shirt. He trudged down stairs and walked over to the front door, eager to shut up whoever it was that was beating on the door.

"What?" He asked, as the door swung open, nearly causing a smaller, green alien to fall into him. "What the hell Zim?" He yelled.

The Irken caught himself, before straightening up and brushing himself off. "Dib." He nodded towards the human.

Dib sighed. He was in no mood to put up with Zim's crap today. But he was curious as to why the 'almighty Zim' was standing on his porch. "What?" He raised an eyebrow and leaned against the door frame.

Zim looked down to his feet, before looking up again. His insides turned, but he ignored them for now. "Zim was thinking about your offer from last night." He began. "And I have come to the decision that perhaps," he paused and took in the taller male standing before him. "Perhaps we can be...friends."

Dib stood up. He was surprised to say the least. "What changed your mind?"

Zim smirked. "Well you seemed so interested in Zim the other night. It seemed wrong to deny you the opportunity to be near me." As he spoke he took a step towards Dib, making sure to invade his personal space.

It was a few seconds before his brain caught up with what was happening, he took a step back, his face turning a light shade of red at the mention of the other night. Once there was a noticeable distance between the two of them again, he sighed. Zim had agreed to his offer! He was determined not to let the events of the last few nights ruin that for him.

"Why did you have to come all the way here to tell me that?" He asked. "You could have just called." He added.

The Irken sighed, putting his hands on his hips. "Does that mean you no longer wish to see Zim?" He gave the human a fake pout.

Dib froze. Obviously that's what Zim would think. "No, no that's not what I meant. I just-" He paused when he noticed that Zim had started laughing. "What?" Was the only intelligent response he could come up with.

Zim's laughs quieted as he stood up straight and walked passed Dib into the house, ignoring the confused looks he was being given. "Stupid human," he waved his hand as he spoke. He went over and flopped down on one end of the couch. "So what is the first thing we're doing as 'friends' then?" He asked, getting comfortable.

Dib stared at the open door, then over to Zim before closing it and spinning around. "Nothing right now." He stated. "It's Friday. I have school in an hour."

The poorly disguised Irken narrowed his eyes at the human. "Our first day as friends and you do not wish to spend it with Zim?" He put his hand over where a human heart would be. "Zim is deeply hurt." He always did have a flare for the dramatic.

Dib sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked away from Zim, mentally debating with himself over something. "Well," he began. "I guess I could skip today. But this is a one time thing." He warned. He watched as those contact covered eyes opened again, pleased with his answer. "Just wait here and let me get changed."

Without waiting for a response, he headed upstairs to get dressed. He felt a bit bad for skipping school, but it wasn't like they were actually teaching was actually a challenge for him anyway. Yes, Dib could afford to miss one day if it meant trying to secure his new friendship with the Irken invader.

As much as he didn't want to keep the other waiting, he needed a shower. Dib grabbed a towel from his room before he headed into the bathroom to shower. "Zim will just have to deal with it." He muttered, turning on the tap.

The sound of the shower turning on was unmistakable. Zim sighed and leaned back. This was going to take longer then he wanted it to, that was for sure. Then an idea popped into his mind, if the Dib was going to make him wait, then he'd take this time to snoop through the humans base. It was only fair, Dib had done it to him more times than he could count.

Without another thought, he headed up the way he had seen the human go. There were five doors to choose from. Zim shrugged, not knowing which one belonged to the Dib. He opened the first on the right and was nearly decapitated when Gaz threw something at him.

The second on the right was a closet and the one across from that Zim could tell was the bathroom. The next door on the right was, thankfully, the Dib's room. He opened the door and walked in, before closing it again.

He smirked. It was definitely the Dib's room. There were pictures of various supernatural beings, a Mysterious Mysteries poster, various pictures of creatures (some blurry and some not) and notes that seemed to hold various facts and sightings of the creatures.

Zim frowned, crossing his arms and shifting his weight. He had expected to find at least something about himself in here that he could use to embarrass the human. He flopped down on the bed to the left of the door and took another look around.

The closet. He had almost missed it. Almost, but not entirely. He stood up again and walked over. The closet was in the far right corner, next to the computer desk.

On the floor at the bottom of the closet, lay a bunch of boxes that looked like they'd been forgotten about. Zim guessed that they had indeed been put there for that reason. He pulled the boxes out and sat down, opening them up to (hopefully) find some of what he was after.

And he wasn't disappointment. The three boxes contained all of the information, pictures and videos that the Dib had collected about Zim over the three years their rivalry had spanned. The further in he got, Zim even discovered some notes and theories about why he had vanished in the first place.

He read through some of the old journals that Dib had kept. Some of them contained information that he, himself hadn't even noticed. Some of the stuff he knew 'favors the red fun dip like snack.' But it was things like 'He puts the right boot on first, but zips the left one first' or 'makes clicking sounds when frustrated or angry.' His antennae twitched as he read, finding the things that Dib noticed about him interesting.

Zim questioned how the human managed to get some of the pictures he had, but shrugged it off. When he reached the stuff Dib wrote about after Zim left, he felt a little...guilty perhaps about leaving. Zim shook his head, it had to be done. He read as Dib began to give up any hope of finding Zim or figuring out his motives for just up and leaving.

As people began to forget about the Irken, it seemed, the human had begun to question how much of it had actually happened. After two long, long years, Dib had given up, packing the things away. To do what with? It appeared the human didn't even know. As he dug through, he set various things of interest on the ground around him. Effectively making the humans room more of a disaster then before.

When Dib figured he'd left the alien in his house alone for long enough, he stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. At some point, he had heard the door slam behind Gaz as she presumably left for school, so there wasn't much of a reason to worry anymore.

Dib had a good feeling about the day as he headed down the hallway and opened the door to his room. He shut it behind him before reaching for the glasses he left on his desk. When Dib spun around again, he almost chocked.

"What the hell are you doing?" He yelled.

Zim didn't look up, but flicked his antennae as a way of acknowledgment. He had ditched his disguise at some point while reading and was no lounging on the human's bed.

Dib walked over and snatched the book out of the aliens grasp. "I leave you alone for twenty minutes and you go snooping through all my stuff?" Dib crossed his arms, clearly annoyed with the other.

Zim turned his gaze to the human, ready to argue that that's what Dib used to do when he caught sight of the human's lack of clothing. He opened and closed his mouth a few times. "Nice...towel?" He said, giving Dib a mocking look.

He raised an eyebrow before catching on. Dib's face turned red. "Get out so I can get changed." Dib turned his gaze away from the Irken on his bed. The same feelings from the other night rose up and he had to fight them down. The smaller Irken just looked so good lounging on his bed. And that smirk! How was he supposed to think properly when Zim looked at him like that.

From the corner of his eye, he caught Zim giving him a fake pout before sighing and standing up. The alien stood next to him for a moment and raised his arm. He opened his mouth to say something, before closing it, dropping the arm and sighing.

He heard the door open and close as Zim left. Dib let out a sigh of relief. He turned to judge the state of the room.

All of his carefully collected data was spread on the floor. "I'll clean it up later." He sighed again before going over to throw on a black tee, black pants and his trench coat. A quick brush of his hair sent the previously limp piece of hair sticking back up. Some things never changed.


	9. Chapter 9

After stopping the destruction Zim was causing to his kitchen while hunting for snacks, Dib decided to drag him out with the promise of snacks. He hadn't really thought out what, exactly, he wanted to do with the alien (what did friends even do anyway?) but he figured if he wanted to keep his house in one piece, it would be better not to leave him there any longer.

Zim had complained, at first, but being bribed by delicious food, even if it was human, was enough to get him to shut up and agree. They drove around for a while until ending up back at the diner from the other night. Dib had a suspicion that it may become a frequently visited place with the aliens new formed addiction to milkshakes.

They sat in the same booth as last time, both drinking their milkshakes- chocolate for Zim and vanilla for Dib.

"So what is it that human 'friends' do anyway?" Zim asked, taking another sip through the straw.

Dib watched him as he did. No matter what the Irken said, he clearly liked the milkshake. "Well..." the human began. He had to pause to think about it. "They do things together. Things like this" he motioned to their current activity. "And going to the movies and the mall. They...go bowling." He was stretching now. The truth was, Dib had no idea what friends did. "Some humans play games at each others houses, watch movies, sleepover." Now he was listing off activities seen in movies.

Zim eyed him for a moment, the indigo contacts revealing little emotion. "You want to 'hang out' in Zim's base?"

Dib shrugged. "I guess. It's better than my house. Pissing off Gaz is never a good idea." He paused. "Specially if you want to keep your limbs intact."

The Irken seemed to consider this for a moment, stopping to take another sip of the shake. "I suppose Zim can grant you entrance to the new and improved base." Silence. "But if there is even one spy device found afterwards, Zim will be forced to destroy you."

Dib nodded, smirking lightly at the old threat. "We'll go whenever you're ready then." He said, finishing off the last of his milkshake.

The Irken nodded, taking a few minutes to finish off his own drink before standing up. He was wary of letting the human into his base so soon, but he did agree to try out this 'friendship' so Zim figured he should at least make an effort. The human stood up and they headed to the car.

Zim didn't think he would ever accept the fact that the human had outgrown him, never minding that he had grown more than Irkens usually did anyway. He would find someway to be taller then the other, that was a fact.

"We have two options." Dib began. "We can go back to my place and grab some of the video games there, or we can rent some from the store." Dib paused and turned to the alien before turning the key in the ignition. "Do you even have a system to play games on?"

The Irken scoffed. "Of course, human. The technology in Zim's base should be able to play your human games just fine." He crossed his arms, as if insulted. His technology was superior in every way, how could it not run stupid human things? "Do whatever is easiest." Zim finally answered, not caring either way.

The human sighed, before turning on the signal light and headed back towards his house. He stopped the car on the side of the street and left it running. It was a matter of minutes before the human climbed back into the car holding a small bag.

"I didn't know what you'd like. So I grabbed a bit of everything." He shrugged and tossed it into the back. "So how do I get to your base anyway?"

After a half hour of failed directions and wrong turns, Dib pulled into the guest parking at Zim's loft type apartment. "This is where you live now?" The human asked, surprise clear in his voice.

The Irken nodded, exiting the car and leading the other to his apartment. "This is where Zim has lived for the last six months." He explained.

Once the door was unlocked, Dib walked in. He was surprised to find that the inside was more normally decorated then his old house, although there were still magenta and purple accents in the room.

The living room contained a big tv mounted on the wall, a coffee table and two couches. Past that was a staircase, leading up to a second level which hovered over the kitchen. It was a nice place and Dib couldn't help but wonder how much it costed. And if it was as expensive as he thought, how much did Zim pull in from the club?

The thought of Zim at the club brought a blush to Dib's face. He couldn't help it, really. The image of the Irken leaned over him, in those clothes...well, they invaded his mind and there didn't seem to be any way to get them out. Not that he wanted to.

"Wow." Was all the human ended up saying.

Zim was leaning against the now closed door, smiling smugly. "It, like everything else of Zim's, is perfect."

Dib opened his mouth to argue, but when he looked the invader up and down he realized that Zim may not be all wrong. Instead, he decided to ask; "Where's your lab? There's no way it's in this apartment."

Zim smirked again. "Currently floating on the edge of Earth's atmosphere. There's a teleporter to get there."

Dib walked around the bottom floor of the apartment before nodding to himself and flopping down on the couch directly across from the tv. "The base is disguised right? It's not just floating around the atmosphere undisguised?"

Zim unhitched himself from the wall and walked over to sit across from the human. "Do you really think Zim is that stupid?" He sneered. "It's cloaked. Undetectable with human technology." He stated. "You should know better than to underestimate me, human."

Said human kept his gaze off the Irken sitting next to him, he should have guessed as much. "So are we going to stay here, or head to the lab?" He asked, changing the topic.

Zim eyed him, he didn't trust the human enough to show him the lab. Giving him access to all of his technology was a bit much for right now. Zim stood up and began to head to the kitchen for snacks."We stay here for now." He paused in front of Dib, not wanting to pass up an opportunity to make the human squirm. The Irken leaned over the taller human, placing his hands on either side of his head.

"But if you're a good, little human, I may show you the base later." He gave the human a sly grin and held the position for a few seconds. Dib blushed, his brain kicked into overdrive trying to come up with a response.

Zim straightened back up, and continued to the other room. Dib stared at the space the other just occupied before he was able to speak. "What?" Nothing the other said seemed to make sense. Dib's mind began calling up images that he really didn't need right now.

The Irken smirked to himself as he stared at the open cupboard, considering the snack choices carefully. "Feel free to set up whatever it is you need." He called, choosing a bag of what looked like Irken chips and walking back.

The human managed to set everything up without much trouble as Zim looked on approvingly. Dib popped in a disk and handed the second controller to the alien sitting next to him.

"I figured you'd like this game more than others." Dib began. "Being an alien bent on world conquest and all."

He clicked the start button and the game menus popped up. He had chosen a zombie survival game, figuring the other would enjoy the senseless violence, destruction and gore that came along with it.

Zim grinned, his desire for chaos clear on his face. When Dib caught sight of it, he couldn't help but smile, the alien looked the happiest when he was causing some sort of mayhem- even if only virtual.

They played for a few hours. Dib has died a few sometimes, only once or twice from hunger or being caught of guard, mostly for being sacrificed so the alien could get away in a tough situation. Although he wanted to be annoyed, he couldn't bring himself to be. So he faked it.

"If you really were better at the game then me, you wouldn't keep throwing me to the zombies." Dib set the controller down and leaned back, crossing his arms. He hadn't realized it while they were playing, but he was hungry. It had been a few hours since leaving his house and Dib was pretty sure he hadn't eaten since the night before. Might be a good time to make his exit.

Zim dropped his controller on the couch next to him. "I do it because it's funny." One antennae raised, catching the sound of the humans stomach complaining for food. "Are you alright, human?" He asked.

It took a second for him to pick up on what the alien meant. "Oh. Yeah. Hungry I guess." He stood up. "On that note I should probably go home, get something to eat, y'know?" He rubbed the back of his neck. "Thanks. For this." He motioned towards the tv.

Before the human could take a step, Zim shot up. "Wait!" He said a little louder than intended. "Zim could order you food, so you wouldn't have to go back to your pathetic human life just yet." He was quiet for a moment. "If you wanted." He couldn't explain why, but the thought of the Dib leaving already made his insides flip. Zim also knew how much Dib couldn't stand being at his house.

He stood up straighter and brushed imaginary lint off the sweater he was wearing. Dib watched him for a moment, completely caught off guard by the offer. He dropped his arm and gave the other a smile. "I'd like that." There was a pause. "What's around here to order?"

Zim relaxed once the offer had been accepted, suddenly feeling more relaxed about the situation. "There should be some menus in a drawer in the kitchen. Gir collects them and Zim only keeps them around because ordering food seems to distract him."

Dib snickered and headed to the other room to search for said menus.


	10. Chapter 10

After a twenty minute debate about Dib's choice of Chinese; the food had been ordered. The pair were hanging out and watching some movie that Dib had found on tv. Isn't wasn't the best, by any means, but it was a horror movie that featured human violence. So of course Zim was entranced by it, even despite how obviously fake it was.

At some point, it had grown dark out and Dib had thought to turn off the lights, more out of habit then anything. Horror movies were always better in the dark. A knock on the door managed to make the ever paranoid Dib jump. He really just hadn't been expecting it.

Dib pulled out his wallet and stood up. He handed the food to Zim, who had come up to stand behind him, before counting out the total and giving a generous tip to the driver.

"Why did you get so much food?" Zim asked, opening a few of the containers and poking at it.

Dib smiled again. "I got some extra. Just encase you wanted some." As he went to close the door, a figure on the other side of the street caught his eye. Admittedly, they were well hidden, he really only noticed them because of his history with hunting the paranormal. He got good at spotting things that were trying to hide. He closed the door, acting like he'd never seen whoever it was.

"There's someone watching the building." He informed the invader.

One of the Irkens antennae twitched up as he shoved some noodles into his mouth. He really had been curious about the Chinese food, and it wasn't half bad, for human food. "What did they look like?" He asked, recalling the incident from the other night.

Dib shrugged. "Can't tell. Too dark. Looks like they may have a hood over their face also." He took another look through the peek hole in the door.

Zim set the utensil down and walked over, casually peeking out through the curtain. Whoever it was seemed to know how to hide their face... A chill ran through Zim's spine. He was being stalked.

But why? He let the curtain close again and walked back over to the couch. "This isn't the first time." He admitted to the human.

Dib followed, flopping back down in his spot. "What?"

He sighed. "Zim was followed home the other night by a human. It's probably the same one." A pause. "At first I thought it was you."

Dib wanted to protest, but it was a fair assumption, given their history. "How many people have you pissed off recently?" He asked, a smirk on his face, he couldn't help it, Zim did have that effect on people.

Zim glared at him, deciding to take the rest of the noodles as payment for Dib's mocking, leaving the human with none. He stuck out his tongue, before hitting play on the movie. They would figure it out later.

After a few days, it became a habit. Dib would come over after school on days Zim was off. They would hang out, get dinner and watch something together. Unbelievably, it seemed as if they were becoming normal friends, in a span of a week, there were only a few more sightings of the mystery figure. Once Dib had went out to confront it, to find the person had vanished.

And it was a few days after that when it became undeniable to Dib; he had feelings for Zim. It was a Wednesday night and the two were on different couches. The tv was playing a movie neither cared about, Zim was fiddling with his newest invention; something to try and decode all human emotions, and Dib was doing homework.

It was strange, in all the time spent together, he hadn't seen Zim once in his uniform. The Irken still talked about ruling the Earth, but no mentions of his Tallest, or his mission came up. Dib began to wonder if there was more to the others story then he was telling.

He pushed his homework aside and sighed. Confronting the alien directly would result in a fight, and he just wasn't in the mood for that. "I need a break." He stood up and stretched out. "Want to do something?"

Zim tried once more to make the device work. When it clicked at him in response and did nothing. "Fine." He growled, tossing the device to the other side of the couch.

Dib raised an eyebrow at him. "What is that thing anyway? You've been working on it for days." Zim crossed his arms and leaned back against the couch.

"It's none of your business." Was his response.

Dib sighed. "Don't be angry with me because you can't get it to work. I assume that's why you've taken it apart more times than I can count."

Zim shot him a glare. "And it's not Zim's fault the machine won't work. It's the stupid human technology in it." He shot the device a glare as well. "If I could get what I needed instead of having to substitute it, it would be working in no time."

"Mhm. Blame the technology." Dib headed into the kitchen to grab a soda. Dib had ended up stocking Zim's fridge and cupboards with some basic human snacks and food after one incident where the alien caught Dib enjoying an Irken snack and soda. He ended that night with a few bruises and a semi deep scratch on his chest. He didn't make that mistake again.

He popped the tab and walk back into the living room. He picked up the device Zim had been working on and looked over it a few times. He wasn't sure what it was supposed to do; it seemed like it would give off some sort of readings, but for what?

"It's supposed to read human emotions." The Irken said, keeping his gaze on the human. "Right now it doesn't seem to do anything." He shot another glare at the device before Dib put it down. An idea occurred to him and he walked past Zim and over to the door where he had dropped his bag. Dib rummaged through for a few seconds before pulling out his note book and walking back over.

"I could maybe help with it." He said, shrugging. "If you want."

Zim was silent for a moment while he considered it. It would make things easier to have an actual human to test things on, and Dib did have a relatively high intelligence. "Maybe." was all he said.

He was flipping through the pages. He wasn't paying attention as he tried to pass Zim, soda in hand and hit the corner of the couch with his leg. Startled, he accidentally dumped soda in the Irken's lap. Dib froze and lowered the notebook.

Zim glared at Dib and then his lap for a few seconds before it seeped through his clothing and began to burn. He narrowed his eyes further and stood up without a second thought. He turned around and stomped up stairs to change, muttering things like: "Stupid, idiot human," and, "Just be happy that Zim doesn't vaporize your big head."

"I'm sorry!" Dib called out as he left. He did feel kind of bad, although a small part of him wanted to snicker, just a little, for old times sake. He sighed and sat on the other side of the couch, setting what was left of the soda down and picking up the device. Dib scribbled a few notes down about the parts as he took it apart. He looked over each piece before putting it back together again. He hit the button and scanned himself, taking more notes when it clicked and did nothing else.

He was so focused on the task at hand, Dib didn't notice when Zim came back into the room. It was only when he felt the weight on the couch change that he looked up.

When he did, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. Zim had come back in a magenta tee. The shirt was obviously too big, just going to mid-thigh. The neck of the shirt sat to the right, exposing his shoulder, and the sleeves were double the size of normal.

"H-hey." He tried to choke out. He wasn't sure where to look, his eyes kept drifting over the small Irkens frame. Mostly though, he kept drifting to the bottom hem of the shirt. Damn was it short! But at the same time Dib couldn't get over how good it looked on him.

"What are you looking at?"

He tried to say something, but shook his head; the only thing he was thinking right now was haw bad he wanted to bend the Irken over the coffee table. "Uhh. N-nothing."

Zim narrowed an eye at him. The way the human was staring at him made is insides feel all fluttery. But he had no idea what it mean. All Zim could tell was the human seemed to be having problems thinking...and that he wanted Dib to look at him like that all the time.

Dib blinked again, struggling to take his eye off where the shirt ended and how great it made him look. From the corner of his eye, he saw the beginning of a new movie start to play on tv.

"Hey look!" He said, changing the subject. "Want to watch another horror movie, this one's got zombies in it?"

Zim turned his eyes to the tv. "Alright." When he came back, he had still been angry at the human for burning him with soda; but with the way Dib kept glancing at him, he felt that vanish.

Zim, as it turned out, was more scared of zombie movies then he liked to admit, Dib wondered if it had anything to do with his first Halloween on Earth and how horribly that had went. Regardless, over the course of the movie he found that the Irken had slowly moved closer to him, under the guise of obtaining more food of course.

About three quarters of the way through, he felt the alien leaning against him for comfort. The human wanted more than anything to wrap his arms around Zim and pull him onto his lap; but he didn't. Although things seemed alright between the two of them currently, it couldn't be guaranteed they would stay that way. He settled, instead, for casually leaning closer to the other.

Dib wanted to ignore how the contact with Zim was making him feel, he wanted to ignore how distracting Zim's clothing choice was as well. He kept telling himself that they weren't at that stage yet, he couldn't afford to blow it. He tried to keep all his attention turned to the screen. It seemed that trying to predict where the next zombie would pop up was just enough to keep him occupied.

Zim turned his gaze from the movie to the human he was leaning against. Amber eyes shone with concentration as the human watched the movie. The Irken felt like he could stare into those eyes forever, if the human would allow it. They captivated him in a way others did not.

The alien was so busy concentrating on the human that when the movie went quite, he glanced over to figure out what had happened. For a few seconds there was nothing on the screen, but before he could look away, the camera panned and landed on an entire hoard of snarling zombies.

Zim screeched and jumped into Dib's lap, hiding his face in the others chest. His antennae were pressed flat against his head and he grabbed the front of Dib's shirt. He had been so widely unprepared for the zombie scene.

Dib lifted his arms at the feeling of the alien diving into his lap. When it seemed that the smaller male had gotten comfortable, Dib let his arms hang loosely around his back.

"Scared?" He teased, looking at the curled up Irken in his arms.

Zim peeked up at him. "No."

"Riiight..."

Zim lifted his head. "Zim is not scared. He was simply unprepared." The alien stated. Dib laughed again, ignoring his protests. He straightened his back and made himself more comfortable in the humans lap. Dib's arms hung comfortably on the others lower back.

"Zim is too amazing to be scared by a pathetic hu-"

Dib cut him off, placing his lips over the Irken's.


	11. Chapter 11

Before Zim could really react, Dib pulled away. He looked away from the alien on his lap, a blush on his face. He hadn't meant to do that, really. But with that shirt, and Zim sitting in his lap, it couldn't be helped.

It took a moment for the Irken to process what had just happened. He'd seen humans do it all the time. If he remembered properly, it was supposed to be some sort of mating ritual. Zim narrowed is eyes at the human. How dare he touch Zim like that.

"Do not put your filthy germs on Zim!" He yelled, getting up off Dib.

Dib whipped his head back. "You were the one that got on my lap!" He yelled back, standing up. "Silence!" The human was a bit taller than him, which only fueled the anger, especially when said human was using that height to his advantage. "Pathetic human," he spat.

Dib narrowed his eyes. He did expect anger from the other, he was not putting up with his. "Listen to me space freak-"

He swiped forward with a clawed hand and connected with the side of Dib's face, leaving three, long cuts across his left cheek. They were deep, maybe deeper than Zim had intended to make them, but at the moment he didn't care. Zim wasn't letting a human, a creature far below himself, talk to him like that.

Pain. The first thing he felt was pain, and then the blood running down his face. "What the fuck!" He yelled. "What the hell is your problem?" Dib was furious. He needed something to stop the bleeding. He took a quick look around and upon finding nothing, pulled off his shirt, balled it up, and pressed it to his face.

He had been injured like this before by the alien, if not worse. Their previous fights had gotten pretty intense, but back then Dib was expecting it. Hell, he may have even deserved it. But all he did was kiss the stupid moron in front of him.

"Do not interrupt Zim." The Irken stood defiantly, arms crossed and back straight.

He glared at the Irken while trying to put enough pressure to make his face stop bleeding. It felt like his stomach was being squeezed and twisted. He was shocked that Zim had done something like this to him after how the last week or so had been. He shouldn't have been, but he was; the alien was clearly insane.

He pulled the shirt away from his face; it was most likely ruined with the amount of blood on it. He sighed, the bleeding had slowed, but he would need to give himself stitches. When he looked at the Irken and found a lack of remorse, something snapped inside the human.

He shoved passed the smaller alien and grabbed his stuff before shoving it into his backpack. Dib put his coat back on and did it up before turning and leaving silently.

Zim dropped his arms, his antennae falling from an aggressive stance to a more relaxed one. He hadn't expected the human to leave; he'd delivered more devastating injuries in the past. Zim had seen the evidence of those fights on the human.

When Dib had taken off his shirt, Zim could see the scars that those fights had left behind. The Irken had fared out better; mostly because Irkens healed faster then humans. Instead of feeling good, like he usually did when he 'won' a fight, Zim felt a bit guilty.

Maybe he shouldn't have reacted that badly? Maybe he shouldn't have swiped at the Dib like he had? He sighed and dropped back onto the couch; his body sagging a bit as he did.

It wasn't his fault. The human shouldn't have done that to Zim. He had no right to touch him like that. He kept repeating that himself, but it didn't seem to be convincing him. Zim wanted to know if the human was alright, but Zim didn't apologize. So instead; he did nothing.

Dib flung the front door open and stormed inside. Thankfully he had the car today or getting home would have been agonizing. He headed to his room to grab the first aid kit. It wasn't the standard kit; Dib had altered it shortly after the fights with Zim began.

Mostly cause going to the hospital was out of the question with the kind of injuries he had, and how often he had them. But also because some of the injuries he got from the alien needed special care. Most of the stuff had been stolen from his father'.,ls lab, but other stuff he had bought.

Dib took the kit into the bathroom and shut the door. The first step was cleaning off the wound, the next was disinfecting it. He swore under his breath, that shit stung.

Once that was done, Dib was able to take a look at the wound. It was deep, but luckily he didn't think it was going to scar. He pulled out a small device, reminiscent of a stapler, and activated it. After a few more times the scars were closed up, although still ugly looking. They cuts would be prominent for a week or so, before they began fading and eventually disappeared altogether.

The human sighed and cleaned up the bathroom, before heading back to his room to sulk. He held up the shirt and examined it.

The shirt had been totally ruined, there was no doubt there. But Dib was a little sad to see it go, it had been his favorite one. He tossed it towards the garbage can before taking a seat in the computer chair.

He spun around a few times and stared up at the ceiling. He'd known forever that Zim had violent tendencies, and it wasn't exactly unheard of for the alien to attack somebody. But he really had hoped that they had developed some kind of friendship, and that maybe that meant Zim would be nicer to him.

"Wrong again." He reached out and grabbed the computer desk, effectively stopping the spinning. Dib opened up his laptop and pulled out the homework he had been trying to do earlier.

Since his reconnect with the alien, he had been pushing most of his school work to the side in favor of spending time with the other. Now seemed like a good time to get to work on the ever growing pile.

When he finally finished, it was just after eleven pm. Dib yawned and stretched out, standing up from his chair. He quickly checked his phone, but unsurprisingly there were no messages. Not that he really expected any different.

While Zim did text him occasionally; it wasn't like the alien was known for sucking up his pride and admitting he was wrong. Dib tossed the phone back onto his desk and took off his pants before crawling into bed. It was probably good that he was getting the rest. Usually he stayed at Zim's until late so by the time he got home, the human was usually pretty tired. Within minutes he was fast asleep; completely missing it when his phone chimed.

Zim was laying in bed, the blanket wrapped around him forming some sort of nest. He held out the disguised Irken communication device. After moping and watching tv for a few hours, Zim had noticed that the human had left one of his text books on the couch. He had also managed to get blood on Zim's couch.

But the Irken had taken it upon himself to text the human to inform him. It was nothing more than that; he just didn't want the Dib knocking on his door later to get it. Or that's what he wanted to believe anyway.

The truth was, Zim found himself feeling lonely for the first time since Dib had started coming over. It was an easy way to distract himself from the things he didn't want to remember when the human was here to bother him.

The alien sighed and checked his phone again. It had been just over an hour since he sent the first text. He was trying to be patient; Zim didn't want Dib getting angry again, but it was hard. He rolled onto his stomach before dropping the device on the bed next to him.

It was a possibility the human was asleep, so maybe once he noticed the phone going off he'd respond, right? Right or wrong it was what Zim was choosing to believe. The Irken didn't even notice when he drifted off to sleep, making sure to keep the device close as he did.

It had been two days since the incident and Dib was still refusing to speak to Zim. The alien had sent out a few texts but still; there was silence.

By now he knew there was no way the Dib hadn't noticed the texts, he was clearly being ignored.

"Stupid, infuriating human!" He spat, pacing around the living room. There was only an hour before Zim had to head to work and he was debating going to the human's house to confront him again. School was over by now and given the amount of time Dib had spent at Zim's over the last two weeks, he clearly had nothing better to be doing.

"I should have destroyed him years ago." After work. He would go and confront the human after he got off, no matter if the Dib liked it or not.

Dib had com downstairs in search of snacks; he'd been ignoring Zim for the past two days, hoping that maybe he would learn some kind of lesson from it. He figured he'd send the green moron a text tomorrow, inviting him to do something possibly.

But he was going to make the best out of tonight, even if he really wanted to be with the irritating Irken.

"What are you still doing here?" A voice asked from behind him.

Dib froze as he reached for a can of soda, he hadn't even been aware that Gaz was here. "I, uh." He stood up, soda in hand and rubbed the back of his neck. Hopefully he'd be able to get out of this without another injury to add to the one of his face. "I just wanted a soda. I ran out of snacks upstairs." He closed his eyes and gave her a half smile. "I was just on my way back up, so you wont hear me at all if you just let me go now..." he trailed off.

"No you idiot. I meant in the house." A pause. "Shouldn't you be out at your boyfriends or something?" She crossed her arms and leaned against one of the counters.

Dib glared at her. "First, he's not my boyfriend." She raised an eyebrow but said nothing. "Second," Dib pointed to my face. "He did that last time I was there. So I'm ignoring him for a few days."

"What did you expect from a psychotic alien?" She asked. "Look, I'm going to keep this short but you hang around with him because he's different. And that also includes him being crazy, erratic and whatever else you see in him."

Dib opened his mouth to deny liking Zim at all, especially after the shit he pulled, but was quickly silenced.

"I'm not done." She stated. "I don't know what kind of crap you idiots have going on, but you're both just that, idiots." A pause. "What I'm saying is go and make up with your gay alien lover and stop moping around the house. You're killing my gaming vibe."

With that, she walked out of the room, ignoring any further protest from her moronic brother.


	12. Chapter 12

At school the next day; Dib was having problems focusing. He wanted to talk to the Irken, but he wasn't sure that he should. So when the bell rung signaling that Dib was free for the weekend, he couldn't be happier.

After packing his bag and swinging it over his shoulder he headed out and began the walk home. Gaz had sent him a text saying she was going to be doing some gaming related thing after school and not to bother waiting for her.

The human didn't mind though; it meant he could make himself dinner and hang out in the living room tonight. Dib flopped down on the couch and turned on the tv before pulling out the homework from the day.

Dib worked on homework until about six. And after cooking a small pasta dinner for himself he sat down to enjoy one of the classic alien movies that was playing on tv; troubles mostly forgotten.

That was, until a knock on the door brought him slamming back into reality. He shot a glare to the side before sighing and standing up. It was a rare occasion that anyone came to visit the Membrane house; with the main two inhabitants being mostly outcasts and the third never being at home.

He swung the door open and crossed his arms, staring down at the small Irken on his door step. It was eerily reminiscent of the time Zim came back to tell him he was reconsidering the friendship idea.

"What do you want?" Dib was in no mood to deal with the other right now. The scars were mostly gone by now, but three faint lines were still barely visible.

Zim shifted his weight back and forth; shoulders pushed back and head up to make himself appear taller. Always with the height insecurities he was.

"Zim just came to see if the Dib was still alive." He began, struggling to find the words. "You never responded so Zim began thinking you had contracted the human sickness and died."

Dib raised an eyebrow. If this was an apology, it was a shitty one at best. "Yeah. Okay." He paused. "As you can see, I'm clearly fine. Minus the claw marks you left on my face." He spat the last part. "If you'll excuse me, I have a movie to finish." He began to shut the door, not wanting to hear anything more the alien had to say.

"Wait!" Zim reached forward to stop the door. "Perhaps Zim acted a bit rashly." He said.

Dib scoffed. "A bit?" He yelled. "You clawed my face! I soaked that shirt with blood! And you think you overreacted by a bit?"

Zim looked down, trying to collect his thoughts. "Zim didn't know-"

"Bullshit." Dib interrupted. "You knew what you were doing." He kept his eyes on the other. "Leave."

Zim looked up, eyes wide. "But I-"

"Leave before I grab the water gun alien scum." His voice leaked with venom.

Zim took an involuntary step back. It had been a while since the human had threatened him so violently. There was only one way this was going to get any better and the Irken was going to have to suck up a lot of pride to do it.

"Do you not believe me?" Dib asked. "I'll do it you know. A little bit of pay-"

"I'm sorry!"

The human froze mid-sentence. "You...what?"

"I'm sorry." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Zim didn't mean to react that way."

Dib tilted his head to the side. An apology? An actual apology? No way! He crossed his arms.

"But you deserved it!" Was the next thing out of his mouth.

The human sighed, letting himself relax. This was the best he was going to get, he knew it. It was amazing the other had even been able to make himself say the words. "It happens again and I throw you into a pool."

The smaller male nodded, keeping his eyes locked on the human. He wouldn't say it, but he was glad Dib had accepted his apology. Things weren't the same without the other around. "So what's on tv?" He asked, inviting himself in.

Another sigh. "Old alien movies." He snickered. "This is what some humans thought aliens might look and act like." He said.

Zim flopped onto the couch and observed as one of the aliens stalked it's human prey, acidic saliva dripping as it moved. He cringed. "Humans are stupid."

Dib dropped onto the other side of the couch. "It's entertaining at least."

Zim shrugged. "And you wonder why Zim thought this dirtball needed to be destroyed."

Dib turned to look at him. "How long is it safe for anyway?" He asked. "You never gave me any specifics."

Zim tensed up. "Whenever the Tallest decided to do something with it." He flinched at the words.

Dib narrowed an eye questioningly, catching the reaction but saying nothing else. They watched another twenty minutes of the movie in silence.

"The voot needs some basic repairs done." Silence. "If you want to help."

Dib tilted his head towards the other. "What made you offer?"

Zim shrugged. "Better than watching bad Earth movies?" It sounded more like a question then an answer.

"When do you want to get started?"

"We should be at the apartment for eleven. It might take more than a few hours and Zim wants an early start."

Dib nodded. "I'll get breakfast."

"Can Zim sleep here tonight? The trip back is long and-" Yawn. "Zim is tired."

"Fine." Sigh. "You can take my bed. I'll sleep down here. Don't want to take a risk of Dad coming up and finding you with no disguise."

Zim nodded. "That's acceptable."

Once upstairs in the humans room, Zim took the opportunity to look up the feelings he kept experiencing. According to what he was able to find; he had been experiencing attraction to the human. Although it all made sense, he wanted to run a few experiments for himself; to answer this once and for all. Tomorrow would be the perfect time to start.

Zim was sitting on the couch, his foot tapping impatiently as Dib showered and got ready. He woke up before the human, naturally, and had come down hoping he'd be awake. But the sight that greeted Zim was one he had not been expecting.

Dib had kicked the blankets off in his sleep. Paired with him only sleeping in a pair of loose pj pants that had managed to slip down his hips as he slept and tousled hair; Zim froze.

The Irken could feel his blood pumping faster, his face heating up and an uncomfortable warm feeling surging throughout him. It was a good few minutes before the alien was able to force himself to move again.

After shaking the human awake and yelling at him to hurry up; he was left with a mind full of confusion. He crossed his arms. What was happening to him? He kept feeling things for the human. But trying to identify them on his own, but there was little progress made there.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Dib asked as he reentered the room. Zim snapped his head up, not having heard the human approaching.

"Snacks." He replied.

There was something off about the alien, but Dib knew better then to question his erratic and strange behavior. Instead he shrugged and grabbed his keys.

Dib stopped to get them doughnuts and himself a coffee on the way. Zim happily ate the snacks in the car.

The human parked and followed the alien into the apartment. Zim shed his disguise, throwing it into a random corner before heading to the cleverly disguised teleporter. Upon reaching the other side, Dib was stunned. He had only been to this base once, not that he'd had any time to look around

Zim snapped his fingers. "We have work to do. Tour later."

"Fine." Dib followed the Irken obediently, but made sure to take in all he could as they walked to the ship repair room.

There, the voot sat; hooked up by many various cables to the computers. "Okay!" The Irken clapped his hands together. "You are familiar with Irken ships, yes?"

Dib nodded. "I have Tak's ship. Remember?"

Zim's antennae twitched. "You still have that thing?" Again, Dib nodded. "Interesting." He watched as the human shrugged and wondered around, looking at all the tools and equipment. "First things first. I need to begin the preparations to install a new and improved interface."

"Which means I need you to connect a few cables underneath the ship." Zim stated.

Dib whipped around. "I don't know why I expected any different."

Zim ignored the comment before walking over and picking up the small tablet device that was laying on the workbench next to the ship. He climbed in and took a seat in the pilot's chair. "Zim needs to make alteration to the computer, and unless you are fluent in Irken then I see no other way to do this."

Dib sighed. "Alright fine. I need access to the tools."

Zim typed in a few commends and a few tools connected to cables descended from the ceiling. He began typing in a few commands. "Once the wires are connected I can begin upgrading the new upgrades."

Dib nodded. "That's it?"

Zim paused. "Well, no. Once that's done I'll need you to replace one of the computer drives. It can only be accessed from underneath." He paused, watching as the human rolled his eyes.

"How long will it take to upgrade?"

Zim shrugged. "Assuming nothing goes wrong; a few hours. There are some minor things Zim would like done in that time. Mostly just some basic readings to make sure the rest of the ship is still functioning properly."

Dib nodded before rolling the creeper over and laying back.


	13. Chapter 13

Zim walked back into the repair room with two cans of soda and the table. One of the cans was open, the other he had brought for the human. After making sure the voot was prepped to receive the upgrades, there was nothing much left for him to do. So instead of doing anything that could help the human, he leaned against one of the tables and watched as he worked.

The Irken rather enjoyed the view he got of the human. Dib stuck his tongue out as he worked, eyes narrowed in concentration. He stood in silence, eyes moving over the others body as he sipped from his soda. Then a thought occurred to him; he wanted, or needed, to see more of the human.

Dib swore, something clanging against the ground before he slid out from underneath the ship. "Dammit!" He yelled, bringing his thumb to his mouth.

One of Zim's antennae twitched up as he watched the human suck lightly on his thumb, a please smile crossing his face. "Does it need medical attention?"

Dib's gaze snapped up, not having seen the Irken standing there. He shook his head, letting his hand drop. "It's fine. Just a small cut."

Zim nodded. His antenna twitched some more. "Soda?" He held the other can out.

"Yes please." He said. "It's so warm under there."

"Is it almost done?" He asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Yeah. One wire left. They are harder to reach then they look." The human complained. He handed Zim back the can. "Once it starts upgrading, can we order some food. I'm hungry and it's been a while since breakfast."

"It's only been two hours."

"All I got was a doughnut." He whined. "I'll pay."

Zim sighed, setting both cans back down. "Fine."

Dib took a moment to stretch out before getting back to work. While he did, Zim was playing with the control panel. There was an option to release some of the fluid from the voot and based on the positioning the human was in, it would most likely ruin his shirt.

A smirk crossed his face and Zim hit the button without a second though, only allowing a small bit out. It would be worth it to see the human working without his shirt for a little bit. He changed back to the computer control and set the tablet aside.

"Shit!" Dib yelled, sliding out for the second time. He shirt was covered in a black oily substance and the human was pissed. "What the hell happened?"

"What did you do human?" He questioned, narrowing his eyes to play the part. "Why are you wasting Zim's voot oil?"

Dib looked up at the other. "I didn't do this! I was just about to connect the last wire! Crap." He swore again. "This was my favorite shirt."

Zim's antennae flicked in annoyance. "You knew we were working on the voot, why would you-" He stopped. "Never mind. Give it to Zim." He held out a clawed hand.

Dib looked at him oddly. "Why?"

"The computer can make you another like it. But you need to give it to me first."

Dib sighed before pulling the shirt off and muttering under his breath. Luckily, he had managed to avoid getting any on him.

"Wait here." Zim directed before walking out of the room, leaving the human to have a few moments to himself.

Dib leaned against the table and drank some of his soda. He was surprised Zim let him have some of his Irken soda. He shrugged and decided not to question it. The alien had been acting a bit strange the last little while, so he figured it was probably nothing.

He picked up the tablet and looked through it a bit. Although he wasn't fluent in Irken lettering, he could make out the odd word or sentence here and there. There wasn't anything overly interesting on the tablet. Until he came across one of the searched that Zim had done recently. Something about his PAK and...feelings? That couldn't be right.

"Can you even read anything on that?" Zim asked, leaning against the doorway.

Dib jumped a bit and set the tablet back down. "Not a lot." He admitted.

Zim looked him up and down, his gaze lingering on Dib's exposed upper half. "Maybe Zim could teach you."

The statement seemed to surprise the human. "Really? You'd do that?" He asked excitedly. He'd always wanted to learn Irken. Mostly so he could hack into Zim's computer easier; but now because it was still so new and exciting.

Zim nodded. "But you'd have to do something for me." A wicked smile crossed his face.

Dib raised his eyebrow questioningly. "What would that be?" The way Zim was looking at him made a blush spread cross his face.

The Irken put a hand on his hips. "You'll find out later."

Dib shook his head; he was probably just imagining things. "Alright, whatever." Zim was acting strange, more so then usual. He wondered if it had anything to do with what he'd been (unsuccessfully) trying to read. "I'm going to go connect the last cable."

Zim nodded and Dib stretched out, arms raising above his head. His eyes closed, as he enjoyed the pleasant feeling of his muscles stretching out.

The Irken watched, tongue hanging out of his mouth slightly. The sight before him was almost irresistible. His antennae involuntarily flicked forward and it took effort for the Irken not to run his claws down the others chest.

Again, he caught sight of the faded scars that littered the others body; memories of their previous fights. Zim was conflicted about them. They were signs that the human belonged to him, and only him. But he was almost certain the human wasn't fond of them.

Dib let his arms drop back to his sides. After this he would need to do some proper stretching. When he looked over at Zim it only took a second for the other to snap out of whatever sort of trance he'd been in but Dib was sure he'd seen the expression on the others face.

"What?" He snapped, walking back over to stand next to the human.

"You were staring."

Zim shook his head. "You're imagining things human."

He paused for a second looked at the other questionably. "No. No I'm not. You were staring. Tongue out and everything."

Zim blinked slowly, face blank. "Why would I stare?"

"I don't know. You were the one staring." He was sure of it. He'd seen Zim doing it with his own eyes.

The Irken scoffed. "Zim has no reason to stare at you human."

Dib looked over his face again, trying to find any hint of the previous expression. His antennae were in what seemed to be a neutral state and if he didn't know better, it looked like the Irken had no idea what he was talking about. "You were staring! I saw you!" He yelled defensively. He had seen it. Right? He was starting to doubt himself now.

Zim just blinked again. He took another sip of soda and said nothing, watching the humans reaction. It was interesting to see how easy it was to make him doubt himself.

"Whatever. Forget it." He shook his head. Zim shrugged and turned away from him to pull something up on the tablet.

He sighed and went back over to the voot. The sooner he finished this the sooner he could figure out what the hell was going on.

Zim walked back over to the voot and leaned against it, waiting to begin the download. He watched the other for a few minutes more before he slid back out from under the ship.

"Done. Now can we get the download done and get some food?"

Zim licked his lips before spinning around and pulling himself up. There was no need to get in the voot so he stood on the end and reached into to press a few buttons on the dashboard.

As he did, it gave Dib a delicious view of Zim's ass. The human felt his face turn red. He knew he should probably look away; but he didn't want to. The tight black pants wasn't helping the situation any. If he didn't want to before (which he did) Dib definitely wanted to grab the Irken by the hips and take him right there.

Dib shifted his weight a few times. The stream of thoughts flooding his mind were only adding to the uncomfortable amount of heat he was starting to feel. He coughed into his hand and turned his head, trying to focus on anything else.

After a beep from the machine, Zim got off the machine. He typed a few things into the tablet before nodding. Dib snapped his head back to look at the alien, but at the same time; images of the Irken lying underneath him, tongue sticking out in pleasure crossed his mind.

His blush intensified and he had to look away again. Zim caught the look on Dib's face. A cross between lust and surprise. "Something wrong Diiib?" He asked before brushing past the human and walking towards the door.

Dib blinked in confusion. "N-no." He shook his head. "Everything's fine." He followed the other towards the teleporter. He probably just needed more sleep. That would fix it right? Dib hadn't been sleeping the best lately and it was clearly just making him more weird than normal.

They would eat, then maybe Dib would take a nap, and once he woke up his brain would go back to normal and maybe things wouldn't seem so strange. Besides; why would Zim have an interest in him anyway?

It had been pizza. Zim wasn't happy about it but he was hungry and pizza was the easiest thing to order, not to mention probably the cheapest. He'd been spending a lot of money on food while at Zim's. Between keeping Zim's house stocked with edible human food and them eating out most nights, his wallet was starting to suffer. Maybe it was time to get a part time job.

"Did it really have to be pizza?" Zim groaned again. He dealt with the greasy food more often then he liked because of Gir.

"Unless you want to start buying the food, then shut it." Dib snapped. "Do you know how much it costs to keep food here? Gir just eats everything when I leave and I have to restock every few days. You don't help either. You always want me to order you food, or else you take all of mine!" He complained.

Zim crossed his arms. "Go home then." He muttered.

"Y'know? Maybe I might. I spend way too much time here." Dib was bluffing. He had no desire to leave and he knew Zim liked it better when he was around.

The Irken froze. Whenever Dib left he got bored and slept. Things were a lot more dull without. His antennae flicked downwards in worry. Which he quickly covered up by crossing his arms in defiance. "Fine human. Zim will give you some monies for pathetic human food."

Said human flashed a teasing smirk. "Good." He was sitting across from the Irken, which allowed him to watch the way his antennae moved and flicked. One of the things he wasn't able to get much information about were the long black stalks that stay on the other's head.

Earlier, his antennae had been hanging into his face; a position he'd never seen them in before. The human leaned over and grabbed the tip of one. Holding it lightly in between thumb and index finger. He didn't register the small shivers that were running through the Irkens body, or the way his muscles seemed to relax at the touch.

Zim could feel himself growing warm. Antennae shouldn't be touched, especially not like this. He knew that. It was drilled into every Irken from smeethood. But he couldn't bring himself to move them away. The feeling was way too great for that. Zim leaned towards the human, tongue hanging limply out of his mouth.

"How do these work?" Dib asked, running his fingers down the stalk a bit.

Zim opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a slight moan.

Dib paused his movements for a second before a smirk crossed his face.


	14. Chapter 14

It was like having an off button for the Irken. Although as much as he was enjoying it; the moment the he stopped the human was sure that he was going to suffer greatly. Reluctantly, he dropped his hand away from the antennae.

It took a few moments for Zim's mind to pick up again. He whipped his head around to face the other and narrowed his eyes. "Give me one good reason to not rip your arm off human?" He hissed.

Dib rubbed the back of his neck. "Because it felt good?" He gave the other a small smile. "I think."

Zim stared at him for a moment before relaxing a bit. "Zim will let you live just this once." He sighed and his antennae twitched, missing the warmth that came from the human's hand.

"So...what do they do anyway?" The human asked, watching them twitch and move again.

"It's how I hear. And smell." He said. "They are also useful for sensing close by objects." He explained.

Dib was interested. He wanted to know more about them. How sensitive were they? Was the tip more or less sensitive? Why did they feel like that? What did they taste like? Wait. What? Why did he want to know that?

"They also react with my emotional state." Zim continued before Dib could respond. "There is the normal rest state. They also flick up in alert or interest, down in disinterest, fear or sadness." He paused for a moment. "Back in aggression or anger." Dib snorted. He knew that much. "And slightly forward in interest." He illustrated by flicking his antennae into the different positions as he spoke

He took a moment to consider the others words. He found it amazing that Zim was willing to give out this much information about himself. Although it wasn't something that he couldn't figure out given the amount of time they were spending together. But there was one position he hadn't explained.

"What about fully forward?" He blurted out.

Dammit. He'd hoped the human had forgotten about that. Telling him now could ruin the experiment; as well as jeopardizing information he wasn't ready to give out. Just as he was about to speak up, the tablet beeped. The upgrade was done and it was time for him to go inspect it. It hadn't occurred to the Irken that they'd been in the living room for that long.

"Back to the lab." He said; changing the topic as he stood up.

Dib sighed. Question dodging jerk. He thought. It also occurred to him that he still wasn't wearing a shirt. He followed the Irken back to the ship; if he remembered correctly there were still repairs that needed to be done to it.

After the first time Dib used the teleporter, he had felt a bit sick for a few minutes afterwards. It seemed the more he used it; the more his body got used to the feeling. He began to wonder if the sickness was a normal side effect.

Zim bee lined straight to the voot, but Dib trailed behind more slowly; taking time to examine as much as he could of the new lab. It looked similar to the old one; although the addition of windows allowing him to look upon space was nice. The human paused by one of the windows for a moment to observe.

The view from space was one he much enjoyed. He wondered if he could ever get Zim to take him somewhere. Anywhere really; he wasn't picky. There were so many planets and galaxies he would never get to see and, if Dib were to be honest, it made him a bit sad that he never could. The stupid, green, moron didn't know how lucky he was. To be able to just pack up and see anything in the universe he desired.

After what felt like a while, Dib turned around and headed back to the repair room. Zim was probably wondering where he went and waiting to yell at him. It was worth it though; to be able to be here, up in space.

When he walked into the room, Zim was sitting in the cock pit of the ship, legs up on the dashboard and tablet sitting in his lap. The tips of his antennae brushed together lightly as he concentrated.

Dib stopped by the door for a moment to enjoy the scene. The Irken managed to look both relaxed and concentrated at the same. He took a mental note of the others expression and antennae movements. One he hadn't seen before.

Zim typed in one last code to check the upgrade and installation went well before the tablet beeped. His thoughts kept drifting back to Dib and his antennae. It had been such a long time since he had felt anything that good. It had also been a long time since it was given willingly as well.

He heard footsteps enter the room, his antennae stopped brushing together and twitched towards the sound.

"What are you doing?" Dib asked, coming to stand next to the ship.

Zim put his legs down and stood up. "Checking on the upgrades. Everything seems to have installed properly."

"What else needs to be fixed? Dib asked.

Three hours, a small fight, and a burn later; all the repairs were done. By this point it was late and the pair were tired.

Zim was sitting on a metal table in the medical room. During the repairs, he had managed to get his hand stuck in a place it really shouldn't have been- thus resulting in a pretty nasty burn covering most of his right hand.

Zim had dropped the tools he was working with, letting out a string of Irken swears, and a few choice human ones also.

Dib had wanted to bring him in here then, but Zim fought it. He could go after the repairs were done, he just wanted to finish and be done with it. Reluctantly, the human had agreed; finishing everything in record time.

"Give me your hand." Dib said. The Irken sighed and obeyed, holding it out for Dib to look at. He cringed, the burn looked worse than it was (hopefully.) Slowly, he began to peel off the black gloves the other seemed to always wear.

Zim yanked his hand back, wincing at the pain it cause. "What are you doing?" He asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion or anger the human couldn't tell.

"I need to take the glove off so I can clean it."

"No." He crossed his arms, holding the damaged hand close to his body.

"It needs to get done."

"No."

"You are in no position to do this yourself. Let me do it." The taller of the two argued.

"Zim's been patching himself up for years. I can do it."

"Just let me. It'll be easier and faster."

"No."

"Dammit Zim!" Dib yelled, slamming his hand on the table. "I'm just trying to help you, you idiot!" He paced back and forth. "If you don't want my help just say so; but don't drag me here to help you and then not accept it."

He was having a hard time understanding why the alien was being such an idiot. Dib wasn't sure exactly how the Irken healing process went, but it was still likely that if it wasn't cleaned properly it was going to get infected. And he had no idea how to deal with an Irken infection. "Whatever. If you can do this yourself then I'm going home." He said. "It's late and you're giving me a headache."

Zim froze and watched as the other began to walk towards the exit. It's not that he didn't want the humans help. It was more that he didn't know how to accept it. "Wait!" He said, hoping off the table. "Don't."

Dib paused and spun around. "Don't what?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't." He repeated. "Just don't go." Zim practically whispered.

Dib sighed, before reaching up to massage his temples. "Fine. Whatever Zim. But just, listen to me right now. Alright?" Zim nodded slightly. "Good." Dib lead him back over to the table.

Slowly, he pulled off the black glove, trying not to irritate the wound more. Dib kept a loose grip on the aliens hand as he applied some of the disinfectant gel.

Zim's hand was soft. He wondered if it was because Zim never took off the gloves, or if it was just the way Irken skin was. Would he be this soft everywhere? He wondered, letting his eyes wander over the smaller male's form.

It was silent as Zim watched the other work. After the gel was applied and the burn was clean enough, Dib grabbed the bandage and began wrapping up his hand. Zim flexed his claws as he did. Zim noticed how gentle the human was being as he did it. Wrapping it tight enough as not to allow any dirt to get in it, but still loose enough that it didn't hurt or restrict movement.

The palm of Zim's hand was wrapped, leaving his claws exposed to the air. "There." He admired his work. "It should be alright. Just don't do anything stupid." Who was he kidding? This was Zim he was talking about. Obviously he was going to do something stupid.

Zim looked over his hand, trying to figure out if he could get his hand back in his glove. Oh. He picked up the glove. There was a hole burned straight through it. "Zim is going to need a new glove."

Dib smirked. "What did you expect?"

Zim shrugged, deciding it was probably better that he left it off anyway. He should be healed in a day or so anyway. "Can I have my hand back human?" He asked.

Dib, who was still holding onto the others hand, felt his face get red. He let it go and took a step back for good measure. He was slipping up, at this rate it wouldn't take long for the Irken to figure out what was going on.

Dib watched as Zim hoped off the table and stretched. The human let out a yawn. "It's late and I'm tired." He said. "Can I just sleep on your couch tonight or something?" That something being in bed. With you. He added mentally.

"Fine. Zim will get you extra blankets."

They headed back to the house in silence. It had been an odd day for the two of them. The more he thought about it; the more he was sure that Zim was acting strange. He also wasn't being told everything. That much he was sure of.

Once back in the apartment, Zim grabbed him two big, comfy blankets and two pillows. There was a few more minutes of conversation before Zim headed up to his own room. Tomorrow he would try to pry more information from the other. And if that didn't work there was always trying to decode some of his files.

Dib pulled off his pants and got into the makeshift couch bed; leaving him to sleep in only his boxers. Tomorrow he would try to get some actual answers from the alien.


	15. Chapter 15

Again, Zim woke up first. Which didn't come as a surprise to the Irken; but it gave him time to observe the sleeping human. Zim sat in the lab while his PAK was scanned again watching the human sleep through one of his cameras.

"Scan complete." The computer said.

"And?" The Irken asked, eyes not leaving the live feed.

"It seems more emotions have been slipping through."

Zim paused. "I thought it had stopped working completely?"

"Yes. But also no." The computer said. "It was still managing to block out a small amount of emotions. Most the extreme ones. But now it seems it's stopped working all together."

Zim silently tried to process the news. "So now Zim has the ability to feel all emotions?" He asked.

The computer sighed. "That is what I just said."

An antennae twitched in irritation. "Can you examine the emotions Zim has already felt?" He asked.

The computer was silent. "I could." It paused. But do you really want to know?"

The Irken paused. Stupid computer. He wished it would just take orders. "Do not question Zim!" He yelled.

"Fiiiiine." If it had eyes to roll, it would have. "But it seems like you already know which ones are a bother to you."

Zim glared at the ceiling. "Just do it."

"It'll take a while to go through the PAK data."

"How long?" The impatient alien asked.

"A few hours. If you want me to be sure."

"Fine. Just get it done." With that; he went back to the apartment.

Dib was still sleeping peacefully on the coach when he returned. He decided to try and do something nice for the human, as a sort of thanks for fixing up his hand. Humans liked waffles for breakfast right?

Half an hour later, Dib jolted awake to the sound of a pan clanging against the floor. "What the hell was that?" He asked, turning his head towards the kitchen.

"Shit!" Zim yelled, accidentally knocking a bag of floor over and coating himself in it.

Curiously, Dib stood up, grabbed his glasses and walked over, forgetting about his current lack of clothing. He rubbed his eyes before putting the glasses on and the sight before him was not one he was likely to forget.

Zim was standing in a blue shirt and much like the last time it was barley enough to cover anything, he was holding a spatula in one hand, his antennae were flattened in annoyance and he was covered in a mixture of batter and flour. Dib bite the inside of his cheeks to try and hold in the laughter.

It failed. But he really couldn't help it. Zim looked ridiculous. His stomach began to ache with how hard he was laughing. Zim narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. He shifted his weight to one side.

After a few more seconds, the laughter calmed down and Dib's breathing evened out. "What happened?" A small sound escaped him. Okay, he wasn't quite done yet.

"I was trying to make you breakfast is what happened!" He yelled, letting his arms fall to his sides again.

Dib tilted his head at the Irken. Make breakfast? For me? He thought. "Why?"

Zim's antennae flicked. "Do not question Zim."

The human sighed and took a few steps forward. The kitchen was a mess and Gir hadn't even been in it yet. "I'll help you clean it up." He looked over the ingredients. "Pancakes huh?" Zim nodded. "After we get this cleaned up; I'll make breakfast." Dib offered.

"Good."

Dib took another moment to look over the obviously pouting alien. His mind quickly went to the gutter when he began questioning what he thought the pancake batter on him had been. And That shirt! It was so short, and his legs! Zim had really nice legs.

Then it hit him. Dib himself wasn't wearing much of anything either. A blush spread across his face and he looked away from Zim. He could feel himself getting aroused as his mind ran through the possibilities.

Zim seemed to notice something was wrong because Dib could feel the others eyes on him. "Before we do this; I should get dressed." He said, quickly turning around and practically diving over the couch.

Zim watched him the entire way. The one good thing about the kitchen disaster was the view he had gotten of the human. His body was toned in a way that wasn't obvious. Natural muscle forming on his lanky body from years of chasing around an enemy. Unlike the humans that spent copious amounts of time at the Earth facilities building up non natural muscle, or on couches becoming...squishy.

And Zim really did appreciate the appearance of the natural built muscle. But he wanted to be able to really appreciate it.

As the Dib did up his pants Zim stole one finale glance at his body before looking away. No need to be caught staring at the human like that.

After the human was dressed he helped Zim clean. Well, he did most of the cleaning while the alien tried to avoid the water. The rest of the day passed by rather uneventfully. They ate, played more games and watched bad sitcoms while mocking them.

The entire time the human was aware of everything the Irken did. Every time he shifted and caused their legs to touch and the shirt to rise up just a bit; Dib felt his eyes follow it. He kept simultaneously hoping for and against the shirt going up just a little more. There were a few times when he could swear Zim was teasing him. He would try and reach for something just higher then him and the shirt would just barley manage to keep him covered.

It was starting to be too much for the human to handle. It seemed to be a constant struggle to keep from grabbing the other and pulling the Irken against him.

Dib went home that night and did anything he could to try and distract himself from the feeling the Irken caused in him. It failed. The more time they spent together the more attached he seemed to get.

By the time the human was able to clear his mind enough to sleep, it was around one in the morning. School in the morning was going to suck.

Unfortunately for him, Zim had to work Monday night. Which meant there was no chance of seeing his alien that day. Dib stared out the window aimlessly as his teacher droned on; there was less then five minutes left until lunch. He just had to survive a few more minutes.

The human could feel eyes on him from the back of the classroom. Even after Zim vanished and Dib stopped ranting about the paranormal, none of his old classmates would dare let him forget his past.

Dib sighed as a ball of crumpled up paper bounced off the back of his head. As sick of it as he was, Dib was never the type to really defend himself. He had the ability to, but he never did. It would have made him no better then Zim if he began to turn on humanity, and he wouldn't be able to consider himself the defender of humanity if he was actively hurting it.

So he put up with it, choosing to escape when he could. Eventually the bell rung and the students filled out of the room, leaving Dib behind by himself as usual. He sighed and stood up before packing up his things.

He had been spending the better part of his time over at Zim's since their 'fight' and the thought of trying to figure out what to do by himself for an entire night was not an appealing one. Although he had always been alone, Dib had never really been lonely.

He had spent most of his life alone; until he became of age, then he would spend the occasional night with someone who would never know his name or his reputation. But having a friend, someone who he could hangout with and talk to; had warped his views.

Now the solitude he once didn't mind was now a reminder of how lonely he actually was. Dib wished that Zim would have re enrolled in high school; it would give him someone to eat lunch with instead of escaping to the stairwell to be alone. He skipped the cafeteria, not bother with the food he most likely wouldn't eat anyway.

And after the first few times of being 'accidentally' tripped and pushed into lockers, he managed to scope out a stairwell that was for the most part never used. He took to sitting underneath the stairs to hide from the few people who did stumble upon the stairwell.

Dib pushed open the door and checked his phone. He knew nobody would be texting him, but there was a small glint of hope that maybe Zim would have sent him a message. Nothing. He sighed and slipped it back into his pocket.

"So this is where you hide, freak." Startled, he looked up and froze. Of course. The one day he really wanted to be alone was also the same day his hiding spot had to be found by the same group that liked to beat on him.

He sighed. "Can we just not do this today?" It was a long shot, but he was hopeful that maybe today they'd decided to give him a break.

From behind him he heard someone snicker. Dib didn't even care enough to turn around and find out who or how many.

"You wish." The leader mocked. The leader of the group, Neil, hadn't had the pleasure of going to middle school with Dib. Although it didn't take him long to hear about it from Dib's classmates. And once he did he jumped on the opportunity to make Dib's life a living hell.

Dib sighed again. He dropped his backpack and slid it out of the way. The faster this happened the sooner he could go back to being alone. "Fine. Whatever."

Neil grinned before approaching Dib. He grabbed the other by the collar of his jacket and pulled his arm back before landing a punch to the center of Dib's face. There was a small cracking sound and when he pulled back, there was blood on his fist.

Dib resisted the urge to yelp, his nose was bleeding, but not broken thankfully; although he couldn't say the same about his glasses. Before he had time to recover, Neil dropped him and kicked him in the gut.

This time Dib yelped. He was on all fours when another kick landed on his back. The force of it pushed him down. He should fight back, he knew it. But as much as he wanted to; Dib knew it would just make it all worse later. Eventually they would get tired of him.

Dib shut his eyes as he prepared for the next blow.


	16. Chapter 16

As predicted; they did leave him alone. Eventually. Dib dragged himself up and under the stairs. He'd need to find a new place to hide now, but at the moment he couldn't care less. He didn't really feel much like doing anything really.

For the rest of the lunch break he just sat and stared blankly at the wall in front of him. When the bell rung to signal it was time to go back to class, he still didn't move. After a few minutes he decided to just cut his losses and head home. He'd need to fix his glasses and get himself cleaned up anyway, might as well do it before anyone else got home.

Dib sighed and forced himself to stand, ignoring the complaints his bruised up body gave him. Once he was clean Dib would sleep. And he would stay sleeping until someone or something actively needed him.

He trudged his way through the empty hallways and to his locker. Dib threw his books and homework in. He could catch up on it tomorrow. He slammed the locker door and headed to the front doors.

Once outside; he sucked in a deep breath of fresh air, enjoying the way the slight wind felt against his skin. He began the walk home, his coat blowing behind him as he walked. It was a slower trip then normal; not being able to see properly had that effect.

As soon as the door was unlocked and Dib stepped into the empty house, all of the anger he'd been holding in seemed to dissipate. None of them mattered when he was alone in his own room.

Dib headed straight upstairs and threw his backpack on the floor. He pulled out his cellphone and checked it. And again there were no messages from the one person who could have made this shitty day better.

He dropped that also. Deciding instead to look for his old, backup pair of glasses. Once he found them, Dib set them on the desk next to his phone, before stripping down to nothing and grabbing a towel. He could deal with fixing his glasses later. As sounds of the shower began in the bathroom, Dib's phone went off, signaling the arrival of a text.

Zim tapped his foot impatiently. He hated waiting above all else; but he hated waiting even more after he went through the effort to announce his arrival to the other. He stood outside the high school and leaned against a tree while he scanned the crowds of exciting students.

He narrowed his eyes in disgust as he waited for the Dib. Sure, he had told the human he had to work tonight. Sure, he had said that he didn't want to hang out because of it. But he was Zim! He was allowed to change his mind.

He liked being around the human more then he was willing to fully admit to himself yet. Zim was the master of denial and he would continue to deny until there was no other option left but face the truth. Besides, he was still getting the hang of his new found emotions.

Zim checked his own communications device. Dib hadn't messaged him back yet, which was a surprise. The Irken growled and looked over the crowed again. He spotted the Dib's sister unit, but not him. He shrugged. If anyone knew where the Dib was, it would be her.

He pushed off the tree and walked over to her. "Where's the Dib?" He asked.

Gaz looked over at him from the corner of her eye. "Huh. So you really are back. I thought my brother was losing it." Sure, he'd been spending a lot of time away, and he talked about Zim when she saw him, but there was always a chance his mind had snapped.

"Yes yes, Zim is back. Now tell Zim where to find the Dib." He demanded.

Gaz lowered her game and turned her glare onto the other. "Did the re-entrance into Earth make you forget who you're talking to?" Zim took a step back. "Good." She said before turning her attention back to her game. "I heard your a stripper now." She snickered. "I never figured you for that type."

Zim clenched his fists. This was getting him nowhere, but she was still his best chance. "Zim is amazing and has many talents. Now tell me where Dib is."

Gaz laughed before shaking her head. "I heard he got the shit beaten out of him and went home." She said simply.

Someone beat up the Dib? Zim's insides felt uneasy at the thought. The only one allowed to hurt Dib was him! Without another word Zim went sprinting down the street and towards Dib's house. He opted to climb up to the Dib's window instead of through the front door. There were less questions involved that way. It also meant that the chance of him getting turned away was less.

The blinds were mostly drawn close, blocking most of the Irkens view into the room. But from what he could see, Dib was in fact inside and he seemed to be asleep.

Sliding the window open, Zim was pleased that humans never felt the need to lock second floor windows. Not that a lock would have prevented him from getting in; it just might have put Dib into a less than good mood upon waking up.

A pair of the Dib's old glasses sat neglected on the desk, along with the obviously unchecked cell phone. He narrowed his eyes at the phone as the two unread text messages he had sent sat on the screen. He took off his disguise and set the wig and contacts next to the phone.

When Zim turned his gaze to the human, a rush of heat went through him. The Dib had fallen asleep with nothing on, save for the thin blanket that just managed to hide the only part of him Zim hadn't yet seen.

But the Irken was plunged back into reality when he noticed the bruises and cuts that had formed on the human's body. Dib had cleaned himself up, washed the blood off and all that, but it didn't seem like he's even tended to the wounds that had been caused.

The were two different emotions warring inside the Irkern. The first, and most obvious being anger. Anger at whoever it was that had done this to the human. His human. Anger at the Dib for not fighting back or defending himself.

The next was more complicated, something that Zim was having problems figuring out. He wanted to help Dib. To comfort him.

Eventually the second of the two won out. He could find whoever did this to him later, but he needed to make sure Dib took proper care of the cuts. He also wanted to make sure there was no lasting damage

He sat on the edge of the bed and tilted his head curiously at the other. Zim may sleep but he never dreamed. He had heard that dreams can be either pleasurable or terrifying depending on the dream. He wondered what the human was dreaming about, and if it was a good dream or not.

"Dib?" He asked, nudging the human in the side lightly. There was no response. "Dib?" This time he said it a bit louder. Again, nothing. "Dib!" He yelled, giving the human a shove.

Said human shot up. "What? What is it?" He was groggy from being woken up so suddenly. The room was a blur without his glasses. He tried to remember what day and time it was before everything came rushing back.

He also remembered not putting on any clothing because he was alone. Zim was sitting so close to him and he wasn't wearing a single piece of clothing. His face went bright red and Dib scooted back, pulling the blanket up around himself more securely.

"Zim what the hell!" He yelled.

The Irken straightened up again, his antennae flicking in curiosity. "It was the only way to wake you up." He shrugged.

"That's not the problem! The problem is you!" He argued. "Why are you here?" And what did you see? His mind continued.

Zim stood up and narrowed magenta colored eyes at the other. "Zim just came to check on you, you ungrateful worm." He spat, crossing his arms. His antennae flattened in annoyance.

Dib visibly relaxed. Wait! "To check up on me? Why?" He asked. Part of him felt bad for freaking out on the smaller Irken. Old habits die hard.

"You weren't at school like the other worms. The Gaz-beast said you left. And that you were injured."

The human paused. Zim was concerned? About him? "Why were you at the school?" That was the more pressing question.

The other male shifted uncomfortably, like talking about this topic made him feel uncomfortable and unsure. Which he was. After considering how to answer the question for minute or so, he dropped his arms. "Zim was bored. So he came to get you." His antennae flicked again. This was uncharted territory for him. Concern for another was not something he was use to.

Despite the previously shitty day, that sentence was enough to make up for it all. Dib grinned, not caring if he looked like an idiot doing it. Zim was concerned. Dib wasn't sure how far that concern went, but it was enough to know that Zim cared about him. Even if only a little.

"Can you hand me my glasses?" He asked.

Zim nodded before passing them to the human and sitting down.

Maybe today wasn't so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to let people know I also have a Tumblr midnightmoonlightmadness8! So if you have questions, comments, ides and the whatnot feel free to shoot them over there as well!


	17. Chapter 17

"I thought you had to go to work later?" Dib asked. He really shouldn't have, it's not like he wanted the other to leave either: but part of him needed to know.

Zim shrugged. "Later." It wasn't hard to tell that the response confused the human. Hell, he didn't even fully understand why he was doing this. He had read once that before Irkens got their PAKs they used to live in small pods. It was always a strange idea to the Invader; their new purpose was to divide and, literally, conquer.

But when he was alone there was that part of him that really wanted, needed, to be around the Dib.

Zim flicked his eyes over the human again. His bruises were slowly becoming more apparent; taking on a blueish black color. Hesitantly, he reached out and ran his claws very lightly over a smaller mark on the humans shoulder.

Dib was sure to stay perfectly still. The last time they had made physical contact; it ended with three cuts on the humans face. Which had only left three very light, almost unnoticeable, scars. When Zim ghosted his claws over the humans shoulder he had to work to avoid shivering. He couldn't have imagined such a gentle touch coming from those sharp claws. And he definitely had never imagined Zim touching him like this.

The Irken eventually let his hand come to rest on the others shoulder. Physical contact was not something that he was used to, but he was finding it more manageable with his glove still on. He never could have imagined that he'd even want to try and touch another living thing. Not again. Never again.

But here he was. He flicked his eyes from his own hand up to meet the Dib's. The human's eyes were wide, focused. He was watching and waiting to find out what Zim would do next.

He'd had people put their hands on his shoulders before. Family, teachers, people at his fathers lab- It wasn't an uncommon touch. Although there was a definite difference between the kind of touch he normally got and this. Usually it was someone congratulating him. He always had good grades, he was smart, efficient; the kind of things that got your praised by adults for being more like them then the average kid.

But this. This was a touch he had never experienced before. This touch was filled with something that no one else had ever given him. This was kindness, and hope, and concern for his well being, and maybe, maybe if he was lucky, this would also be something akin to caring or companionship.

So he continued to sit statue still. He drank in the touch like a man that hadn't had water in a month, except it hadn't just been a month. He'd been starved from this for as long as he could remember. Everyone either not wanting to be around the crazy kid, or being too busy to give him what he needed.

If the other drew his hand away now, and decided to never come this close to him again; Dib wasn't sure if he could survive it. He'd made it up to this point because he'd never felt the warmth of having anyone actually care about him. But Zim was opening the lock to years worth of pain and misery. If he chose to walk away now, the human would come out of this with more then just a little heartbreak.

Sure, he'd had one nightstands with people; he'd done it a lot. But when they touched him it was to get one thing and one thing alone. There was no more concern there for him then anyone at school had ever had.

The Irken saw flickers of the internal struggle going on inside the humans mind. Although he couldn't put his fingers on what the human was thinking about. Slowly, he slid his clawed hand down the humans arm, before resting in on top of the human's hand. Zim began to inch his other hand towards Dib's.

He picked up the humans hand in his two and held it up to examine. His eyes never fully leaving the Dib's amber colored eyes. He turned the hand over, staring at all the marks on it. Old faded scars caused by who knows what. Fights with him, fights with others, a broken bone here and there. He wondered how the extra digits provided useful and briefly compared Dib's hand to his own.

His eyes went from Dib's eyes to his hand and back again. He was watching. Watching to make sure the human was alright with what was happening, watching to make sure he didn't try anything. They spoke through glances. Zim didn't ask for permission, it wasn't what he did. But he did find himself hesitating, giving the human a chance to tell him if something wasn't okay.

If one didn't know better; they'd say that Zim was almost relaxed as he flipped over and touched the humans hand. His antennae were down in a more relaxed manner, but Dib knew better. He was on edge, alert, expecting...well, something. The long stalks were down, but they were ever vigilant, ever twitching. And despite the way he was seated on the bed, legs crossed, hunched over just slightly; the Irken was always ready to fight or flee.

Dib's room was dark, save for a sliver of light; the curtains having been mostly closed so Dib could sleep. The only noise in the house was the sound of the occasional breath taken by human and Irken alike. Dib gave Zim a half smile as the Irken rested Dib's hand in between his two.

But the passage of time must be different in dark and quite rooms, because the shared moment between them felt like is spanned a lifetime. But when the front door slammed open then closed and footsteps headed up the stairs, any semblance of calmness that had been created shattered. Zim jumped back, releasing the humans hand and straightening himself up.

Dib sighed, his smile vanished and he shot daggers as whoever it was approaching his door. He pulled the blanket up again, using it more as a form of comfort then of concealment.

The door slammed open, and Gaz stomped in. She crossed her arms and glared at the two of them. "I see you're feeling better." She stated, crossing her arms.

Dib shrugged. He had been feeling better, but it had less to do with him and more to do with the moment.

Gaz narrowed her eyes at her older brother before turning her glare onto the alien; who was trying to hide in Dib's closet. "And you!" She hissed. "We're going to talk later."

Zim visibly cringed away from her. He might be a superior species, but the Gaz-human had abilities that even he didn't comprehend. For lack of a better term; she scared him shitless.

"What are you doing in here anyway?" Dib asked, tilting his head curiously. She never came into his room, unless it was required to put him in his place.

She growled at his question. "You were supposed to drive me to the mall after school. There was a new game out that I wanted to buy."

Dib froze. His eyes went wide. "W-we can go tomorrow?" He stuttered.

She raised an eyebrow before shaking her head. "Fine." With that she spun around and left the room; leaving the two males in stunned silence. Truth was, she wasn't as angry about the mall trip as she acted. When she heard that someone had been beating on her brother the younger girl was concerned. Though she would deny it every time.

Dib may not have been perfect, and she may be better at defending herself then he was, but no matter he always tried to look out for her; even when Dib was the one that needed to be watched out for. And for that; she would always be thankful. Although they had a strange way of showing it, the siblings did care for each other.

"Mmm. Mhm. Weeeell...it looks like Zim should be going. Getting back to the lab. You know Gir can't be left alone for long and-"

"Stay!" Dib blurted out before he could consider the words. He coughed and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "For a little while longer at least." A pause. "Please?"

Zim regarded the human's pitiful state, as well as his request. He looked like hell. "Fine. Zim will stay. For a little while anyway."

Dib beamed, before scooting over and patting the part of the bed next to him. There were more questions he wanted to ask the other, but he pushed them to the back of his mind. Now wasn't the time.

"It's strange." Dib began, seemingly out of nowhere. "At least with you in school I never got physically hurt." He let out a weak laugh. "I'd rather be fighting you then deal with the others." he didn't like self pity. Really. Dib didn't like to feel as if the world had beaten him down. But sometimes it was unavoidable.

Zim's antennae lowered. He felt bad for the human. When they fought at least they had (for the most part) fought fair. The other humans didn't. He shuffled closer to the human until they were sitting side by side.


	18. Chapter 18

It was late that night that they had fallen asleep. It had been completely accidental but the stress of the day and the relaxation they had both felt at that moment was too much to resist. They had drifted off in the same moment during a lull in the conversation.

It was several hours later that Dib awoke, and for one of the first times ever his body and mind were fully rested. His glasses had been left crooked and on his face and he knew there'd be a light headache later because of it. He straightened them before blinking a few times. Sunlight peered through the curtain, casting small rays of light and warmth in the room.

Zim had fallen asleep with his head on the human's chest, and an arm wrapped around his torso. The human wanted to embrace the other, to hold him in the way he'd been thinking of for a while now. But he didn't.

That night held changes in their relationship. They had bonded; made a connection that Dib did not know could have been possible between them. Things felt like they were changing; slowly, but it was happening.

He settled for just observing the Irken as he slept. It was an interesting sight to see. It didn't look like the other had dreams. He wondered what Zim would dream about if he could.

There was a bang from downstairs. It startled Dib back into reality. He had no idea what time it was. Groaning, he shifted around; attempting to get out of bed without waking the other.

But such as the story of his life suggests; he failed. The alien sat up, antennas flat and eyes half lidded. At first there was confusion on his face, but slowly Dib could see recognition sink in.

"Hey." He gave Zim a small smile.

"What was that noise?"

Dib shrugged. "No idea yet. Was just about to go check."

Zim waved him off. "Yes yes. Go now."

Slowly the human crawled out of bed, Blanket still tightly wrapped around him. He threw on a longer shirt and boxes before exiting the room. As he headed downstairs it occurred to him that they had just slept. In the same bed. And cuddled. And he had been naked. His face went red and he hoped beyond hope that nothing embarrassing had happened to him.

He peeked around the corner and into the kitchen. Gaz was standing by the stove and the pan lay on the floor. "You alright?" He asked, taking a few steps into the room.

She growled and spun around. "Breakfast isn't." She paused. "Is your boyfriend still here?"

He didn't think it was possible, but his face turned a bright shade of red. "He's not my boyfriend Gaz." He looked away from her smirking face to the ground.

"Sorry. I meant gay alien lover."

His head shot up and glared at her. "We're not- he's not- we didn't- we wouldn't-" He started and stopped. Trying to find a proper way to deny what she was saying while also hiding his probably not so secret desire to have the smaller male underneath him.

Finally Gaz laughed. "Fine. Whatever you say." She picked up the pan, and grabbed her plate. "If you want to eat you're making it yourself."

He nodded and turned around, but froze in place for a minute. He spun around again. "You know were not...?" The question hung in the air.

She gave a slight nod.

"And we haven't even..."

Another small nod.

"But if we were...?"

A shrug.

"And you wouldn't...?"

This time she set her food down. "No." There was silence as a wave of understanding washed over him. "Now get out of my face before I throw something at you." A small smile sat on her face.

He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it instead. He stared at her for a few minutes before sighing. "Fine." He turned and walked out. It was clear. Somehow she knew. She had known since before he did. And she was alright with it. She knew. But didn't she always just seem to know things?

He trudged back up stairs and tried to shake the encounter from his mind. Dib opened his door in time to see Zim throw the covers over his head. "What are you doing?"

The alien peeked his head out of the blanket when he heard Dib speak. "Thought it might have been someone else." He shrugged and let the blanket fall off him.

Dib narrowed his eyes at the other. "You hungry? If you want to eat I can go make something to eat."

The Irken shook his head. "Zim's fine."

"Good. Because in all honesty I really didn't want to make anything." He went to join the other on the bed. He'd woken up with the vague feeling that he'd been forgetting something important this morning, but he hadn't been able to place it.

"Can we do something today Dib-thing?" Zim cut off his train of though.

"That depends do you work-" He shut his mouth. That was it. Zim was supposed to work last night. Shit. The other male tilted his head at Dib's sudden pause. "Shit! Shit shit shit. Weren't you supposed to work last night?" Dib jumped up in urgency. He needed to fix this. He wasn't sure how but he had to. He paced back and forth nervously.

Zim waved him off. "I called last night. Said Zim wasn't going in."

Dib stopped his pacing. "You called in sick? And you didn't tell me!"

Zim shrugged again before scooting to the edge of the bed and standing up. "Yep."

Dib flopped down; giving the alien in front of him an odd look. "You can do that there?" He'd never guessed you could call in sick to a strip club.

Zim shrugged again before bringing his arms above his head to stretch. "Don't know. Either way I did."

He wanted to ask the other a bunch more questions, but was momentarily distracted by the delicious Irken in front of him. He was wearing a pair of what Dib suspected was skinny jeans along with a small red sweater. The clothing definitely suited him.

"What did you want to do human?" Zim asked again. When he noticed there wasn't a repose he turned around. He leaned down a little to get in the others face. "Human? I asked you a question."

He was startled to find the other so close. "Um. I'm alright with whatever."

Zim straightened up again. "Useless. Fine. We will go explore this city! Surely there must be something here that could entertain Zim!" He walked over to the door with purpose, almost like he was going to go conquer all that was.

Dib stood up, ready to follow when a thought occurred to him. "You can wait downstairs. I need a second to get dressed."

He could hear Zim huff from down the hall. "Fine! But Zim will not wait foreeeever!" He called as he went downstairs.

Dib shook his head before closing the door. He threw on the first articles of clothing he could find. Black pants, blue shirt, and his jacket of course. Almost reminiscent of old times. He smirked before racing down the hall and jumping down half the staircase. He was more excited about the day then he had been in a little while.

"You both need to leave. You're being way too loud." Gaz' voice could be heard from the couch.

"Soon Gaz. We just need to figure out what to do first. I don't want to spend the entire day roaming the city."

She whipped her head up. "I hear there's a fair going on tonight. I'm sure you could waste a bunch of time there. And more importantly? Stay away from here." He opened his mouth to argue but she gave him a quick wink before turning her attention back to her game.

"A fair?" Zim asked, poking his head into the living room. "What is this fair?"

"It's like...a big place full of rides and games and stuff. You can win prizes and eat candy." He waved his hand as he spoke. "I can't believe you don't know what a fair is."

Zim crossed his arms. "I was busy. Y'know. Destroying stuff." He gave Dib a small pout. "It doesn't matter. Zim now has the knowledge of this fair and I'm going to win all of the prizes." His eyes narrowed in determination.

Dib could see a spark of the old Zim as he spoke. The one who wanted to rule it all. "That's great. You might want your disguise."

Zim reached his hand up; as Dib had pointed out his wig was not on. "I will be back."

Gaz sighed from the couch. "You're ruining my concentration."

He waved her off. "Just a few more minutes."

The bedroom door could be heard opening and closing a Zim exited. "And now, take me to the fair." He beamed.

"Zim."

"Yes?"

"The fair doesn't start until six."

The alien deflated a little. "Well that' only...seven of your Earth hours before it begins. What do we do before?"

Gaze looked up and shot them both a glare.

"For starters? We leave before she kills us. Come on. We can figure it out in the car." Zim nodded and headed out first. "Will you be at the fair?" Dib asked from the doorway.

"I might. We'll see what the day brings."

"Alright. I'll see you later then." With that Dib shut the door behind him. The fair huh? It might be a good place to figure out where exactly they stood with each other. Besides? What could an Irken like more than beating people at games, getting prizes and eating sugar filled snacks? It sounded like the perfect first 'not a date but could maybe be a date if things went well.'

The human smiled and opened the car door for the other. It seemed like it was going to be an alright day.


	19. Chapter 19

After an hour of driving and a twenty minute argument, they finally agreed to stop at a small cafe before heading to Zim's house; they would hangout there until the fair began. Not surprisingly, Zim had never been to a cafe before. It seemed that Dib was doing a lot of firsts with the alien. He wondered what else the other had yet to do.

"What can I get for you?"

"Hmm?" He hadn't been paying attention; day dreams about the disguised Irken next to him, and all of the firsts they could have distracted him from reality.

The women behind the counter sighed. "I asked what you wanted." This time she was far less cheery.

Dib had to think for a moment. "Frozen hot chocolate for me." His eyes traveled to Zim, trying to figure out what the other would like. "A soda and a chocolate chip muffin for him." She rolled her eyes before inputting the order. Her coworker, a male who was just slightly taller then her, began working diligently on making the drink.

Dib pulled out his card and paid for the treats without a word. The human took a few steps to the side while he waited for his order. They stood in silence, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. Like most times they were together Dib found himself without the constant need to talk, to fill the silence with meaningless words.

He thanked the man as he took the drinks and muffin. Zim lead him over to a table in the corner by the window.

Zim eyed the muffin before bringing it close to his face. He brought it to where a nose would be if he were human. Dib raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"What are you doing?"

Zim looked up at him. "Trying to figure out if it's edible."

"Of course it's edible! We're at a cafe. Where they sell food."

Zim narrowed his eyes. "For Irkens." He clarified, resisting the urge to throw the muffin at Dib's head.

The human made a small sound of understanding before bringing the straw to his mouth. "What was it like?" He found himself asking.

Zim titled his head to the side and took a small bite off the top of the muffin. "What was what like?" The words came out slightly muffled due to the muffin.

"Being back with your own after so long here."

Zim froze. His body stiffened. "Was alright." He mumbled, shoving more of the muffin in his mouth.

"But out of all the places in the universe you chose to come back here?" He asked, gauging Zim's reactions. "I thought you hated Earth."

The Irken kept his eyes down, not meeting Dib's stare. "Things change." He picked off a piece of the muffin, before setting it down on the paper bag. He picked up the soda took a sip. Doing anything to avoid talking more.

He wanted to pry into it further. Zim refused to talk about his time away and the few times it had been brought up he froze. Something was wrong, something had happened but he had no idea what it was or how to approach it. For now he dropped it.

"So this fair," Zim began, "It is a temporary thing, yes?" He asked. Dib took another sip from his frozen beverage. "How long does it stay for?"

Dib shrugged before taking a moment to think about it. "A few weeks I think." He paused. "Why?"

"Because if this fir is good...maybe we could go again?"

Dib laughed lightly. "You do know that I'm already skipping school with you today right?" He said. "And I ditched halfway through yesterday. I'm not so sure that I can miss much more school." He joked.

"You don't need that pitiful place." Zim stated. "The Dib is smarter then the other humans."

Dib looked at the other blankly. Sure, he'd always got good grades and he spent more time doing homework then he really needed to, he knew this. But compliments like this from the other were still not expected. Or at least they weren't expected without Zim commenting about his own intelligence. "It's...more of a formality then anything." He said.

The Irken shrugged before taking a sip of the soda. "And it's not like your parental unit is around to notice you're not going to school, so it's not like it really matters." It was the humans turn to get uncomfortable now. Zim seemed to notice and paused. "...Did Zim say something wrong?"

He shook his head. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about his daddy issues while on a not date with someone he liked.

The Irken narrowed an eye at him but decided against pushing it. They both had their secrets and neither seemed to be in a rush to pour them out. Instead, he changed the subject. "You will win Zim a prize at this fair, correct?"

"Why would I?" The human asked.

"Is it not social protocol to win something for the person you're bringing?"

Dib choked. "How did you?" Zim pointed to his PAK and Dib shook his head. "Look that's only for people who are together" He tried to explain.

"But we are together." Zim argued. A few people turned to look at them.

"Not...in that way Zim." Dib sighed. All these years around humans and it still went over his head sometimes. The other male gave him a look that crossed between confusion and disappointment. "But if you really want something then fine." He did want to win Zim over and he felt powerless to turn down the other.

Zim beamed. "Victory for Zim." He said jokingly. Dib sighed again. Why did it have to be him? Of all the things in the universe, he had to fall for the stubborn, clueless alien in front of him.

They finished up their food and headed back to the car. As he drove, Dib tried to form a plan of how to approach the other, he wanted to make it perfect. Although things rarely turned out that way for him.

They pulled into the parking spot outside of Zim's building and headed in. "We've got what, four hours left?" He commented.

The Irken nodded before flopping himself down on the couch, managing to take up most of it. Dib smirked before going over and pushing his feet off so he could sit. There was another couch, but that wasn't as fun.

"Anything you wanted to do while waiting?"

Zim threw his wig on the coffee table before placing his contacts next to it. "Entertain Zim."

Dib Raised an eyebrow at him before leaning back. "Pft." He crossed his arms. "I'm not your source of entertainment."

"Mmm. That's what you think." His eyes went wide, the grin Zim gave him afterward sent shivers through his spine. There was something about it that was more then just playful teasing. Dib wanted to see more of that grin. Zim's antennae flicked as he gauged the humans reaction.

Although the emotions running through the Irken still left him confused more often then not, one thing was becoming clearer; the emotions he felt towards the human were strong. This human was his, and this human had been his since they first crossed paths in elementary school.

They killed time the way they normally did. The tv was one and every so often they would bicker about something; the weather, the show, the neighbors, humanity. But despite the bickering it was nice, comfortable. Familiar.

The human found himself relaxing the same way he always did with Zim. He found that this type of deep relaxation could only be achieved while they were together.

Zim could always sense the shift in Dib. The peace between them existed in a way that was as if their history of trying to destroy each other had never been. And although Zim did find himself in a more relaxed state, there was a tenseness in him that would never go away.

And though he was starting to feel a sense of comfort while with the human, physical contact was where he drew the line. Sure, he played the game, and he played it well. But that was on his terms. And only his terms.

Dib had his attention turned towards the tv, Zim took the moment to observe him while he did. At some point maybe he could stop playing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! So I've been trying to hold off until my beta could get internet again (she's also my editor) But that hasn't happened yet so you're in for a surprise. Here is the raw, mostly unedited, nineteenth chapter. I hope it's not to bad and thanks for being so patient. Until further notice though the chapters will not be edited to their usual standard. I'm sorry. I also hope you you read and enjoy it all the same! I look forward to reading your reviews.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The long awaited next chapter is here! I was having a bit of trouble with this one. I'm not sure why. But I think I finally figure it out enough to finish the chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please remember to comment! I look forward to hearing from you and I thank you for your continued patience with me! Enjoy!

“This is the fair?” Zim asked curiously as they pulled into the parking lot. In the distance lights could be seen. Music and laughter floated to them through the air. It was nice out. They had checked the weather, nothing but sun, warmth and a few clouds.   
Dib nodded. “We'll have to go get our wrist bands still. But yeah. This is the fair.”  
There was a moment of pause as he took in the scene before them. The parking lot had filled up quickly and extra parking had been designated to the fields around. They were far enough out that the only thing illuminating them was the moon, and if the pair tried they could shut out the sounds from the fair.   
Dib watched the alien with interest in his eyes as he took in the scene. This would be the perfect moment to lean the Irken up against the care and kiss him. He shouldn't. He knew that. Every muscle in his body was telling him to reach out and grab the other.  
But just as he was about to act, Zim grabbed his hand and took off towards the entrance. Dib allowed himself to be dragged, a smile plastered on his face. The run through the field was nice. He missed it. The human hadn't realized but he'd been itching for it again; the chase. The feel that he was free. Before they reached the edge of the field that gave way to the parking lot Dib yanked on the Irkens hand, pulling him backwards.  
The non expecting Zim stumbled and fell into the human, who made an attempt to catch him. But the force of the pull sent them tumbling down. Despite having the air knocked out of him by the smaller male leaning over him, Dib laughed.   
Zim stared down at him before tilting his head. “What?”  
Dib closed his eyes and allowed himself to enjoy the moment. He couldn't remember the last time he'd done something like this. Not since his mother was alive anyway.   
“What. What is it human?” Zim asked. But as confused as he was he couldn't bring himself to be annoyed with the other.   
Dib let out a happy sigh before opening his eyes again. Zim's face was hovering above his, waiting for a response. “I missed this.” He admitted. His voice was low, but it wasn't to avoid being overheard. It fit the moment.   
“Missed what?” Zim asked.  
Dib smirked again. “Running. With you, by myself just...running.” He leaned up to fix Zim's wig. It had been shifted off in the fall.   
“Why?” The alien asked.   
“I used to do it a lot. Before.”  
“Before what?”  
Dib's smile faltered a bit. He closed his eyes again and tried to keep his voice stable. “Before you got here, before when my mother...” He opened his eyes again and took a deep breath. “Before my mother died. She loved to run.” There was silence for a minute. “I took up running afterwards.”  
Zim didn't know what it was like to have parents. He didn't. Although Irkens lived in small pods until they were sent out on a mission. He tried to imagine what it would have been like to lose them. Or Dib.   
There was a small aching as he tried to imagine it. The pain he could see on Dib's face spoke volumes. “Oh. Shouldn't have brought it up.” Zim contemplated moving off the human, but before he could Dib put his hands on the others shoulders.  
The Irken tensed up. Happy to have to sweater on. “Don't.” He said. Zim tilted his head. Talking about it sucks....but it's not all bad.” He said finally. “I like talking about it sometimes. The good things. And this is a good thing.” He explained.   
Zim nodded, trying to grasp the understanding. He wasn't so sure he understood what the other was talking about, but the Dib seemed happy so he wasn't going to question it. He felt like there was still more to be said, but the sound of a door slamming shut and a bit of giggling.   
Reluctantly, the human gave Zim a small shove. “Come on. If we spend all our time out there, then we'll miss out on the fair.” He gave the other a soft smile before standing up. Dib held his hand out to help Zim up.  
The Irken nodded, for once finding himself without much to say. There was a small uneasy feeling inside him, but it wasn't bad. In fact it felt pretty good, in a nerve rattling kind of way. Zim was finding that more often then not he got this feeling around the human.   
He grabbed onto Dib's hand and pulled himself up. He brushed dirt off his uniform before they continued towards the entrance. The human pulled a few bills out of his wallet and received two orange bracelets. He put Zim's on first, peeling the paper bit off before wrapping it around the Irkens wrist and sticking it together.   
Zim stared down at it as Dib put his own on. There were plenty of times where they'd been close. Really close. Skin on skin contact close. He didn't like it. The feeling of bare skin on his carried with it feelings he didn't want, memories he wished he could forget.   
But god he found himself craving the feeling with the human. He didn't act on it, knowing how it would end if he lost control.   
“Zim?”  
He looked up and blinked, a blank expression on his face.  
“I asked if there was anything you wanted to do first.” Dib paused and looked down at the other. “You alright?”  
Zim gave him a quick nod before scanning over the fair grounds. All feelings of emptiness and need gone when he saw the amount of stuff. There were rides, and games, and candy and plush things.   
Dib snickered at the look on the small males face. “We have hours. I'm sure we can get through the majority of the things here.”  
Something closer to the back caught his eye. At first he wasn't sure what it was but upon closer inspection he noticed it was a big circular track of some sort. He watched for a few seconds until he saw the roller coaster begin. It went around the loop, going upside down and pausing at the very top.  
If it was possible, his eyes went wider. “That one.” He said.  
Curiously, Dib followed his gaze until it landed on the ride. “The Fireball? Sure you can handle it?”  
Zim shot him a look. “We did more complicated things in pilot training human. The question is can you handle it?” He crossed his arms, giving Dib one of the most delicious grins he could have imagined.  
The human scoffed. “Of course I can. I've been keeping up with you for years haven't I?”  
“Are you sure you're not too out of practice?”  
“Of course not.”  
“Fine.”  
“Fine. Let's do this.” With that Dib grabbed onto Zim's wrist and led him towards the ride. They showed off the wrist bands and loaded into the front spot. The ride attendant brought the device over their heads and buckled them in. There were still some empty spots so there was a few minutes of waiting.  
Zim lazily swung his legs back and forth. Dib relaxed into the seat. Truthfully, he wasn't always the biggest fan of roller coasters, but he didn't mind them. He'd had fights with Zim that ended up being more intense then this could ever be. Flying a planet was not something easily beat.  
But no matter his feelings about the ride, Zim was enjoying himself and, if he were being completely honest here, that's all he really cared about tonight. He would go on whatever ride the other wanted, even play whatever ridiculous game there was to make the night enjoyable for him. Before they knew it the ride started.  
It was slow at first, rocking back and forth on the circular track. With each motion it climbed a little higher until eventually it launched forward going over the loop and bringing them upside down. It did that a few times before launching backward into the same motion.  
Dib had, luckily, pocketed his glasses before the ride started and they remained safely there. Next to him, Zim was cackling. Eventually the ride paused, leaving them hanging upside down. Dib could feel his stomach lurch and was internally grateful he couldn't see the ground. They hung there for a few minutes and Dib could feel the paranoia kick in.  
Was he slipping? Was the harness device giving? Is that just him or did anyone else hear that creaking? Just as it was about to get to much the ride launched them backwards and he let out a silent sigh of relief.   
Zim quickly adjusted his wig, which had managed to hold for the ride. It was a good wig what could he say?  
When the ride stopped Zim walked off proudly, he was beaming. “Zim has conquered the ride!” He yelled, giving Dib a smile.  
The human stumbled out none to gracefully, but managed not to fall over. “I take it back.” He said. “This was worse then our planet battle.”  
Zim just laughed as they walked over to a small picnic table. There was silence as they sat together.   
“What did you want to do next?” Dib asked. He knew he'd be alright, he just needed a few minutes to adjust.  
“Food. Then a prize.”  
The human nodded. “Alright. Did you see one you wanted?”  
He pointed over to a booth with a balloon popping game. Hanging along the the top were a few medium sized UFO plushes.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huzzah! I am not dead! Sorry it's been so long. Life got a little crazy there. Self doubt, doubting my writing skills, moving, job, new cat, friends from various parts of the world, school! So many things! But I just wanted to let you know that I haven't given up! I plan on finishing this fic. So here's a small little chapter (it's really not the best, I'm sorry) to show you that I do still love you all and appreciate all your comments and stuff! Also thank you for your patience while I try and get my shit together. Anywho, I hope you all enjoy this and maybe get as entertained as I was writing it! Remember to review and I promise to make the next chapter better!

Not more then twenty attempts later, and Dib had finally succeeded in obtaining the desired plush. Although, he could have had it earlier if the alien hadn't been trying to instruct him the entire time, sufficiently ruining his concentration, and costing him more then twenty five dollars. But it didn't matter once he saw Zim's face.  
The Irken was hugging the UFO plush to his chest, an expression of pure delight on his face. Dib gave him a soft smile as they walked away from the game booth. “Happy now?”   
He nodded. “Zim is pleased with the Dib. Now! On-wards to snacks!” He shouted, straightening up and heading towards the nearest cotton candy booth. The human shook his head. Trying to keep up with the alien was impossible. But the smile that had worked it's way onto his face wasn't about to leave anytime soon.  
After making their way to the booth, the guy working handed Zim the cotton candy, he took one look at it before demanding that he add more to it. He couldn't have been more then eighteen and here was this maniac yelling at him over a fluffy edible substance, at first his attitude was mildly annoyed, but as the arguing went on he began to get more worked up. It got to the point were Dib, sighing, had to step in.   
He shoved Zim off to the side and agreed to pay the price of two if the guy could just add the extra onto Zim's. “Please, if there is anything good in the world just do it so he shuts up,” and he meant it in the nicest way one can say such a thing. Reluctantly, the worker agreed.  
He turned around and handed the, now doubled in size, cotton candy to the smaller male. His eyes went wide and the Irken was almost beaming. The former annoyance that Dib held at the other seemed to vanish, as if this made it all go away.   
“Is there anything else you wanted to do?” He asked, as they found a place to sit that wasn't in the middle of everything. Zim took a moment to think, before eventually shaking his head. The Irken was pleased with how well the fair had been going and, though he wasn't going to tell, he just wanted to spend some time with the Dib.  
The human sighed and leaned back on the small hill, looking up to observe the stars. The clouds had started to thicken up, but Dib wasn't worried. It wasn't supposed to rain. Zim too, let himself relax enough to enjoy a quite moment of star gazing with the person he was gaining feelings for. Because he was, and lying to himself wasn't working anymore.  
“Dib?” Zim asked, only looking over at the other from the corner of his contact covered eyes.  
“Mhm?” The human replied.   
“We are...friends now, right?”  
Dib turned to look at the smaller alien. “Yeah, why?”  
Zim shrugged. “Something I heard one of the other humans say once.”  
Dib raised an eyebrow at him. “What was that?”  
Zim kept his gaze away from the human. “Something about 'friends with benefits.'” He said. Dib almost choked.  
“Why would you ask about that?” Despite how much the thought appealed to him, he needed to know why Zim was asking.   
Another shrug from the invader. “I heard someone say it about us once. Before I left.”  
Dib coughed this time. “O-okay and?”  
“Were they referring to casual human mating?”  
Dib's face went red, redder then he thought it could have. “W-well. Y-yes. Yes it does. But what does that have to do with u-us?”  
He could see Zim's antennae twitch underneath the wig. “Just curious.”  
They sat in silence again, waiting for the awkwardness to pass. Dib couldn't figure out why the alien was bringing that up now, sure, they'd been called lots of names. And okay, yes, most of their class thought they had this secret gay relationship. But why now?  
After chasing the thought around in circles in his mind, Dib gave up. He wasn't solving anything yet and it didn't look like Zim was in the mood to talk anymore.   
Even with the awkwardness between them, Dib still loved being in each others company. They both had an understanding of the other. Awful stuff had happened in both their lives and although neither knew the full extent, they were both there for the other.   
In that moment, everything seemed alright.  
…  
…  
But as they usually do, nothing stays that way. Dib reached out to grab Zim's hand, and when the feeling of skin accidentally brushing against skin hit, Zim bolted up. He looked at the human with wide eyes. Dib sat up straighter. “Are you alright?”  
The alien didn't respond. Dib reached out to grab him, hoping to figure out what had happened. But as he reached out, Zim took a step back, staying just out of reach. “Zim?” The concern in his voice was clear, something had spoke the alien. He wasn't sure if it was something he did or something else, but it didn't matter. All he wanted was to make the other feel better.  
The Irken shook his head and dropped the UFO plush. Dib stood up, but before he could take a step towards the other, Zim turned around and darted into the crowd. “Zim! Wait where are you- aaaand he's gone. Shit.” The human scooped the plush up before taking off in the direction Zim had went in.   
Unfortunately for him, Zim was smaller and harder to spot. Dib ran from one end of the fair to the other but he couldn't find any sign of the green male. After what felt like hours, or was it minutes? He let himself flop down into a nearby bench. The Irken was gone, at least for now, and Dib had no idea if he had any intention of showing up again. So he waited, just to see if Zim came back.   
The already concerned human grew more worried when he noticed a small droplet of water land on the picnic table in front of him. At first he wanted to pass it off as a fluke, that couldn't be rain. It wasn't supposed to rain today, and if it was rain that meant Zim was somewhere without an umbrella or any method of transportation that didn't resolve in sever burns. And that wasn't the case, right? Right? Wrong.   
As much as the human wanted to play it off as nothing, it was beyond that now. He checked his phone and it had indeed, been two hours. He stood up again, this time jumping up onto the picnic table to get a better vantage point. Still nothing. The rain started to poor down harder now, and with the new development, the park workers were escorting people out. They couldn't just run rides in the rain, that was a safety hazard.   
Unwillingly, Dib let them. Hoping to find Zim waiting outside the park, or by the car. And when he was in none of those places, Dib's panic rose to an all time high.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So hey guys, it's been a while. Um, some stuff happened and I haven't been able to write properly in a while due to an accident. I'm alright though. Mostly. I'm going to try and get back on to regular updates, until then, enjoy this small chapter.

Dib was the last one to leave the fair, the parking lot was quite and empty, the rain was pouring down on him now. His normally untamable hair hung limply down into his face. Zim wasn't here, that much was made clear.

He threw himself into the car. He was wet, his clothes were soaked and sticking to his skin, and now the car seat was also wet, but he didn't care. All that mattered was that Zim was somewhere, and also probably wet.

Which was a very bad thing.

Later, Dib couldn't remember much about the drive back, only that he tore down the empty streets at twenty over the speed limit, flying through puddle after puddle as he went. The only other place Zim would have gone would be home. So that's where he began his search. He careened the car around the corner corner and into the parking lot, coming to a screeching halt next to the stairs that led up to the second level.

Dib flung the car door open and too the stairs two at a time, eventually running up to the Irken's door. He pounded on it wildly, hoping beyond hope that Zim would be safely inside. Too his disappointment, Gir opened the door instead. “Is Zim here?” His eyes were wide and his breathing labored.

The tiny robot shook his head lightly. “Noo, master said he was going out! So I got myself a pizza!” Gir Squeaked.

The human slumped over, visibly deflated by the news, worry being kicked up a notch. He poked his head in anyway, just to make sure. No sign of Zim. “Oh. Okay. If you do see him, tell him to call me. Or something, alright?” The robot nodded, before slamming the door closed. He headed back to the car, ignoring the rain. He flopped down and shit the door, trying desperately to recall places he would have gone.

Dib checked in with his work next, getting very little information out of them however. “No, they hadn't seen him, and no, they weren't going to let him in to check looking like that. Please just leave before we have security make you.” They'd said.

Dejectedly, he walked back to the car. And this happened again, and again, and again, and once more, before he finally gave up. Nobody had seen Zim and he'd run out of places to look. Not the school, the park, the cafe, the diner, or even the hot dog place him and Gir used to go to. Eventually, he settle for driving around aimlessly.

But he was tired, wet and worried and all he wanted was to find the other and then cuddle up under a warm blanket. And as much as it pained him, he decided to head home. Despite his reaction to water, Zim could take care of himself' Dib just hoped that he had.

He parked and locked the car before walking up to the front door of his house. The tv was on and Gaz sat on the couch, she watched as Dib kicked off his shoes and peeled off the soaked coat, and then his shirt in turn.

“What happened to you? Someone kick your puppy?” Dib turned and shot her a look.  
As he walked by he mumbled an “I don't want to talk about it.” Gaz narrowed an eye and watched him retreat upstairs. Later, she told herself. Later she'd bug him about it, but he just needed some moping time

He swung the door open and then proceeded to shed the last of his wet clothing. Dib grabbed a lose pair of pj pants and slipped them on, before going to drop his things in the washing machine downstairs. This time Gaz didn't ask him anything, which he was silently grateful for. But on the way back up he paused on the first step, before turning to look at his sister.

“Have you seen Zim?”

Gaz shook her head. “Plenty of zombies though.” As if punctuating her words, a zombie appeared on screen before proceeding to chew someone else's face off. The purple haired teen snickered.

He was silent a moment. “Oh. Alright then. Just, if you do...” he waved an arm as he spoke. She nodded. “Good. Dib gave her a slight nod. “Good.” He repeated to himself more quietly, before turning and heading back up to his room.

He closed the door before crawling into bed, the sound on raindrops hitting the room comforting, and unnerving.  
He hadn't even realized he's been sleeping until he heard a small tapping on the window. Dib looked up, his curtains were closed. When he didn't hear it again right away he passed it off as a tree branch or an animal. Dib laid his head back down.

But there is was again. Tap, tap, tap, taptaptap. Dib shot up this time, now sitting straight up in ed. He fixed his glasses, which had fallen askew on his face, before pulling back the curtain. Zim hovered outside the window, tapping lightly with one claw. He was in different clothing from last night. “Are you going to let me in, human?”  
Dib hesitated a moment. As much as he wanted to grab him and hold the small alien close, he was pissed. “You don't get to do that. To do this.” he crossed his arms, shooting a glare at the Irken.  
Zim tilted his head. “Do what.?

Dib snorted. “Do what?You seriously have to ask that? How about don't run away from me and not tell me why, or where you're going? Or how about not picking up a phone to let me know you didn't die in the rain? Or how you think showing up here now makes up for any or that?” It all just seemed to flow out. Dib never thought of himself as an angry person, but right now the anger coursing through him was not about to stop.

The alien avoided Dib's gaze. He knew the human would be mad, but he didn't have a choice. “I had to go. Urgent business needed Zim's attention. Zim needed to go straight back to the base-”

“See, I thought that may have been it, but I checked there Zim. You weren't there.”

The Irken kept his gaze anywhere but at Dib. “I had to go Dib, I-”

“You what Zim? You think just showing up with a half assed lie about what happened makes up for it It doesn't. Now tell me the truth or I'm shutting the curtains.”

“C-can Zim come in?”

Dib paused to think about it. Half of him wanted to open it, to comfort the other. But the other, more vindictive part of him wanted to refuse. He waited long enough to see panic flash in the Irkens eyes, but eventually he undid the lock and slid the window open. The Irken climbed through, retracting his PAK legs as he curled in. Dib stood up, looking down at the other. He might have let him in, but he wasn't happy with Zim, so he'd use the height to his advantage.

Zim took a seat on the bed, moonlight drifted in through the open window and a cool breeze followed close behind it. Outside, it smelt of rain.

Dib always like it, it was something that comforted him in times of absolute despair. He took in a deep breath, letting the scent of nature fill his lungs. His eyes slipped closed for a minute and when he reopened them, he felt a tad bit better. Calmer.

Zim watched with intrigue. He'd heard about stuff like this before, but never really understood it. Watching Dib made him want to understand it, want to see more of it. He took off the disguise, setting both the wig and contacts on the windowsill. His antennae danced, adjusting to not having the extra weight once free.

“Okay look.” Dib said, tone softening a bit. “I'm pissed. You left, you freaked me out, I looked for you afterwards.” He paused. Anger still burned behind his eyes. “Just...don't anymore. Okay?”  
Their eyes met and Zim wanted to tell him, to explain it all. But he couldn't, instead he nodded. “Okay.” It was a lie. A promise he couldn't keep. But he would make the promise if it got the human to stop looking at him like that.

Silence seemed to fill the room, not leaving much room for more conversation. Dib watched the way the moonlight hit the pale green skin, making the alien look even more exotic and enticing then he already did. Similarly, Zim could see the exhausted look on the humans face. He had been worried, Zim could tell, but he didn't know how to fix it.

He resorted to what he knew, smart ass comments. “You should start keeping your window unlocked. You know, in case I want to visit while you're here.”

The human shot him a glare. “We'll see.” He paused before lightly massaging his temples. “I'm going to sleep downstairs. You can have the bed.” He let out a small sigh before grabbing an extra blanket and a pillow. “I'm still pissed. But we'll talk in the morning.”

Zim's eyes widened. The human was leaving him alone? But, no. This wasn't supposed to happen. He didn't want to be alone. He wanted to be in the others presence. He'd come here to spend time with the Dib

Dib could read the slightly fearful expression in the Irken's eyes, but misinterpreted it. “There's a lock on the door. Lock it when I leave and you'll be left alone.” He walked over to the door. “I'll see you in the morning.” Without another word, Dib left, softly closing the door behind him.

The Irken was left alone with his thoughts, but got up to lock the door as directed. Alone. In the Dib's room. Where he slept and... did other things. A small shiver ran through him at the thought. He didn't know how to admit it to the other, but he wanted the Dib. Wanted to posses his thoughts and his heart and everything else that made the human. He thought that Dib also wanted the same thing, but in the back of his mind he wondered if maybe he'd messed it all up.

Zim opened the closet and found Dib's favorite shirt, the blue one with the face, before slipping into it. He wrapped himself in the Dib's blanket, surrounding himself with the human's scent. The aching in his chest wouldn't stop, until he eventually drifted into some sort of restless sleep.

The couch wasn't the most comfortable of places, but Dib was too tired to care. Being with Zim was like being on a roller coaster that didn't stop. Up then down then up the down then back up again. It was getting too hard to keep up. But despite that he couldn't help himself. He felt like an addict, going back to get his next fix. But what was one to do when he was practically in love with the guy?

His eyes shot open. What. Was. That.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N Forgive the crappy summary, not sure where this is all going yet. Inspired by a collection of songs in a playlist and a vague idea from a dream. Also, did I sleep before writing this? Nope! Not beta read, any comments about stuff to be fixed are appreciated. Updates will try to be at least once a week, hopefully more. Enjoy! And Maybe even Review and stuff for me?


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